What Mobile - November 2015 UK

MORE THAN 100 MOBILE DEVICES TRIED AND TESTED

THE TOP SMARTPHONE AND TABLET AUTHORITY

NovEMBER 2015 WHATMoBiLE.NET

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iPhone 6s – just a faded memory

16GB As the hype over the latest iPhone 6s starts to subside we’re left feeling underwhelmed by Apple’s storage configuration strategy. By now every sentient human being on the face of the Earth will now know that Apple has launched a new iPhone. The iPhone 6s is the 11th model introduced since 2007 and every year expectations are that the world’s richest company will produce a product of such gigantic technology as to leave us all speechless. This is an unrealistic and unfair assumption. However, Apple itself is to blame for the expectations and hype that its new iPhone releases engender. The iPhone 6s is a tweak of the 6 with some extra features that you may or may not find will add perfection to your life. The bottom line is – if you’re still on an iPhone 5 or 4s the new device is worth your consideration. Owners of the 6 and 6 Plus will need to wait another year before their saliva glands start working over time. What we can fault Apple for its it continuing absurd attitude and strategy regarding memory. The iPhone 6s (and Plus) comes in a base 16GB configuration at a time when every high-end rival smartphone manufacturer would not dream of putting out any device with less than 32GB of onboard memory. For another £80 Apple will sell you an iPhone 6s with 64GB. We’d go out on a limb and say that no-one should buy the 16GB version, especially as Apple’s own software of iOS and built-in apps takes up around 4GB of that. Consider that a minute of 4K video (now standard on the 6s) requires 300MB of storage and you can see that 16GB is not nearly enough base memory. Especially after you’ve dumped 1,000 or so songs onto the device and loaded up a fistful of apps and memory-hungry games. Also the 6s has a 12MP camera. So highres pix will take up more space than before. Add in the Live Photos feature (which adds a second or two of live video to each photograph) and 12GB will be filled very quickly. It’s no secret that Apple pays pennies for storage. A base model with 32GB would have barely added £15 to the price. We can only assume that Apple is forcing savvy users to fork out for the 64GB and 128GB models at a considerable price hike. Or that it wants to ‘encourage’ users to pay iCloud storage subscriptions. The production of a 16GB iPhone 6s makes no sense apart from bolstering Apple profits. Loss of memory. We’re not impressed.

The What Mobile team

contents

InsIde sTORY 08

24

06

38

WIN

42

06 Competition

34 Huawei Honor 7

08 First Look

38 Music Accessories

14 OnePlus 2

42 Apple Pay

20 Apple iPhone 6s

50 Mobile gaming

Win a Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 Four of the best smartwatches + Sony Xperia Z5 Relative newcomer stands tall among giants An iPhone 6 with extra bells and whistles

Can midrange handset compete with the best? Sound add-ons for your devices How to use the new payment system Six new games tried and tested

24 Wileyfox Swift

Wily budget phone deserves attention

26 Android vs Cyanogen

The secret build you need to know about

28 Vector Smartwatch

Unrivalled battery life but lacking software

30 Motorola Moto G (3rd Gen) Latest iteration of the budget favourite

32 Acer Z220

A solid phone is all it really is

4 www.whatmobile.net

54 Buyer’s Guide More than 100 phones, tablets and wearables 55 Smartphones 85 Tablets 94 Wearables

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2 S b a T y x a l a g g n u S ! ! 0 0 4 a Sam £ h T r Wo

We’ve got a huge prize this month courtesy of the guys over at Currys. They’ve been kind enough to give us a brand new Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, which we’ll be reviewing in the next issue of What Mobile and then giving away to one lucky reader. This is one of the best competition prizes we’ve had in a long time, with a retail price of £400! Email your full name, address and contact number to the address below:

[email protected] Alternatively, head to: www.whatmobile.net/competition and fill in the online form. The winner will be contacted via email the following month.

Sweating the small stuff: 1. The promoter of this competition is Clark White Publishing Ltd. 2. The competition is open to all UK residents aged 18 years or over, excluding employees of What Mobile, all participating companies, its agents or families and any company associated with this competition. 3. By entering, all entrants will be deemed to have accepted these rules. 4. All entry instructions form a part of the terms and conditions. 5. Closing date: 5 Ocober 2015. 6. Only one entry per email/IP address will be accepted. 7. The correct winning entry will be selected randomly by the administrator of the What Mobile Facebook page. The winner, who must be a UK resident, will be sent a PNY PowerPack. 8. No cash alternative or other device will be offered. 9. No correspondence will be entered into except that the name of the winner will be available upon written request. 10. You accept that the competition prize may be an open box item that was previously reviewed in the magazine by one of our reporters

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first look

W

ith so many smartwatch announcements in the past month, it has been hard to keep up. We’ve picked four of the best and given them a thorough first look. Smartwatches and wearables in general were hot topic at the IFA Berlin event this year, with a clear shift to more ‘realistic’ looking smartwatches. Blocky square designs are old hat, with a shift to more traditional circular designs that mimic the appearance of real watches.

Asus ZenWatch 2 Aggressively priced at only €169 for the 45mm version and €149 for the larger 49mm model, the Asus ZenWatch 2 will be available from October in a variety of finishes. Our personal favourite is the one above, which looks very similar to those retro Casio watches from the 1980s. The 2.5D Gorilla Glass 3 gives it a subtle curve so it sits more flush on the wrist, which helps to overcome the slightly large watch face. It is also rated as IP67 water resistant, meaning it can withstand the occasional splash of liquid. It is worth noting that the ZenWatch 2 does not come with a biometric sensor, so fitness information will be limited to the pedometer only. The larger version has a 1.63-inch panel with a resolution of 320 x 320, which equates to roughly 278 pixels-per-inch. The smaller version has a 1.45-inch panel with a lower resolution of 280 x 280, which is around 273 PPI. Both versions come with AMOLED displays for better power efficiency. Running on a Snapdragon 400 processor with 512MB RAM, it manages to keep up with the more expensive models. Internal storage is 4GB. The battery is 400 mAh, with Asus quoting a usage time of 2.5 days in ambient use. It also ships with a portable charge pack in the box, which will provide extra juice on the go should you need it. The ZenWatch 2 will launch in October with a choice of three straps – either metal, fabric or leather.

Motorola Moto 360 2 As one of the first companies to buck the trend of square phones, Motorola had a lot to prove with its update of the popular Moto 360 smartwatch. Unsurprisingly, it carries on the theme of a circular watch face but manages to improve on a few areas where the original fell short. A 46mm version is available (the same as last year’s) which is now aimed at men, plus there’s also a new smaller 42mm version available for women. The small cut-out at the bottom where the ambient light sensor sits has being carried across from the previous design, though the main navigation button has now moved to the 2 o’clock position. The screen is still an LCD panel, which isn’t as power efficient when compared with OLED displays. Resolution has increased to 360 x 330 on the larger model and 360 x 325 on the smaller model. It uses a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processor and 512MB RAM, much like every other smartwatch currently available. One trump card up its sleeve is wireless charging, which is included as standard on the new Moto 360. The 300 mAh battery is slightly lower than its competitors and the LCD screen is a big drain, with Motorola only quoting ‘up to one day’ with the ambient light sensor turned on. It is available from the end of September with prices quoted at $300 (£197) for the smaller version and $350 (£230) for the larger variant. There’s also a sport variant, which has an outdoor readable display and on-board GPS.


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first look

Huawei Watch This stylish looking number is Huawei’s first foray into smartwatches and its an excellent attempt. Available in a 42mm version only, it has a premium finish and quick-release band for easily changing over straps. Multiple straps are available in an all manner of materials, including metal mesh, leather and traditional chain links. The screen is protected by Sapphire glass, making it tougher than other smartwatch devices. It is also jam-packed full of sensors, with a heart rate monitor, motion sensor, gyroscope and accelerometer. As a nice additional touch, Huawei has also included a magnetic charging pack in the box which fully recharges the battery in only 90 minutes. The Huawei watch has a 1.4-inch AMOLED display with the highest resolution of any wearable currently available. The 400 x 400 pixel resolution gives it an excellent score of around 286 pixels-per-inch, which is very close to the elusive 300 dpi print standard. It’s also one of the few smartwatches to work with both major operating systems, with iOS 8.2+ and Android 4.3+ supported. Internally, the specifications are much the same as the rest. It has a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 CPU and 512MB RAM, plus a decent 300 mAh battery. Huawei says that the average life of the device should be about 1.5 days, which is likely due to the benefits of using an AMOLED screen. It will be available in October for roughly £300, though premium models are expected to cost more.

Samsung Gear S2 This could well be the watch that stole the show in Berlin. The Samsung Gear S2 won’t be cheap but it is the closest people will get to an ordinary watch. At only 11.4mm thick, it manages to avoid the bulky design of other smartwatches in favour of something which feels much more comfortable to wear. Two versions will be available when it goes on sale in October – the Gear S2 Classic and standard Gear S2. The latter comes with the benefit of user replaceable straps. The most unique feature of the Gear S2 is the navigation dial, which sits around the edges of the bezel. The majority of the UI navigation can be done by spinning the dial around the edge of the screen, which feels remarkably natural and intuitive. Size differences are almost identical, with the classic being slightly smaller than the standard Gear. Both have the same 1.2-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 360 x 360 pixels, which equates to a sizeable 306 pixels-per-inch. They also both come with 4GB of included storage and 512MB RAM. The processor is somewhat underpowered compared to the competition, with a 1GHz dual core chip. However, most of the current smartwatches are overpowered for what they actually do. The more frugal processor helps the 300mAh battery last for an impressive 2-3 days. Both devices run on the latest version of the Tizen operating system and do not support Android Wear, which could be a deal breaker for some. However, this is also the first Samsung watch that will pair with non-Samsung devices. Any smartphone running Android 4.4 should be able to use it, though certain features such as Samsung Pay won’t work. The Samsung Gear S2 will be released in October. 10 www.whatmobile.net

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first look

sony Xperia Z5 Sony showed up to this year’s IFA conference in Berlin all guns blazing, revealing an entirely new range of Xperia Z5 smartphones.

T

he updated Z5 range encompasses three models – the standard Z5, the Z5 Compact and the Z5 Premium. Sony hasn’t really done much with the aesthetics in the past few years and, as expected, the new devices pretty much follow the same themes of old.

IdentIcal desIgn All of the new models look incredibly similar to the previous range, with an identical design aside from some very subtle differences. The new models are fully IP65/ IP68 waterproof resistant up to a depth of 1.5m and now sport an updated power button on the side which doubles as a fingerprint reader. The glass rear has also been dropped in favour of a matte metal finish, which is likely a result of


the waterproofing. In terms of size, the Xperia Z5 measures 146mm x 72 mm x 7.3mm and weighs a fairly standard 154g. The Xperia Z5 Compact is obviously smaller, measuring 127mm x 65mm x 8.9mm and weighing only 138g. As the daddy of the group, the Xperia Z5 Premium is understandably the biggest. It measures 154mm x 76mm x 7.8mm and weighs in at a hefty 180g. Internally, there’s also little change aside from some core upgrades. All three devices run on the latest Qualcomm Snadragon 810, the same chip which featured in the now defunct Xperia Z3+. Both the Xperia Z5 and Z5 Premium ship with 3GB RAM while the Xperia Z5 Compact comes with a lesser 2GB. A major selling point of the Xperia Z5 Premium is that it is the first smartphone to ship with a 4K screen. The 5.5-inch display has an effective resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 which equates to an eye-watering 806 pixels-perinch. Such a display is obviously impressive, though it remains to be seen what kind of impact this will have on the overall battery life. For the other two devices, the results are more mundane. The regular Xperia Z5 ships with a 5.2-inch full HD display much like last time, while the smaller Xperia Z5 Compact ships with a lesser 4.6-inch 720p panel.

camera boost The rear camera has perhaps gotten the biggest bump across the range, with all three models using the same 23 megapixel Exmor RS sensor. Physical sensor size remains a large 1/2.3 inches while the auto-focusing technology has been upgraded to allow speeds of only 0.03 seconds. It’s also capable of full 4K video capture, so those who buy the Xperia Z5 Premium will be able to take advantage of the improved screen resolution instantly. The front camera has also gotten a big bump, with a 5 megapixel sensor that features 1080p video recording capabilities and a 25mm wide-angle lens for those tricky group selfies. Battery life across the range looks very good on paper, with the Xperia Z5 Premium housing a huge 3,430 mAh battery, the regular Xperia Z5 2,900 mAh and the Xperia Z5 Compact 2,700 mAh. All devices will run on the latest version of Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and will feature expandable memory. The Sony Xperia Z5 range is available now with prices starting at £429 for the Z5 Compact, £549 for the Z5 and £629 for the Z5 Premium.

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review

Oneplus 2

OnePlus’s new entry in the smartphone market is only the second in its short history but will it stand tall among giants?

O

Price: £289.99 Reviewer: Manny Pham

The OnePlus 2’s display let’s the phone speak for itself

nePlus is a new player in the game and with the release of the OnePlus 2 it has launched only its second attack on the ever expansive mobile phone market. Founded only in late 2013, OnePlus had impressed with its debut the OnePlus One, which we scored 9.0 as it impressed with class-leading specifications and its toptier quality build. OnePlus’s aim is to be the Muji of the tech industry. CEO Pete Lau cited the Japanese company’s simple yet wellmade products to be an inspiration. But he wants to do one better by delivering Muji quality at lower prices. OnePlus still operates with the same business model, in which it sells its phones that have been ordered directly by users for a small profit margin. Meaning you can’t just go up the high street and get one the next day. Gigantic tease? Genius marketing? Or just damn right frustrating. Compared with its recent effort, the OnePlus, the OnePlus 2 is bigger, bolder and better. Not to mention it’s most appealing feature compared to it’s top tier rivals, it is significantly cheaper at £289.99.

Design The OnePlus 2 has that sophisticated look you’d want to look at every day. The home button/fingerprint panel is centred and almost parallel to the ear speaker, which complements the phone’s sleek and debonair look. Yes that’s right, you get debonair from a phone that’s less than £300. Just like all the other high-tier phones the OnePlus 2 avoids slapping a fat logo on the front, letting the phone speak for itself with it’s amazing feel

Home button/ fingerprint panel

spec sheet Os Lollipop v5.1 processor Quad-core 1.56 GHz and 1.82, Snapdragon 810 screen 5.5 inches Resolution 1080 x 1920 pixels (401 ppi pixel density) Memory 4GB RAM storage 64 GB


at a glance MicrosD compatible? No Rear camera 13 megapixels Front camera 5 megapixels Video 2160p@30fps, 720p@120fps connectivity 3G & 4G Dimensions 151.8 x 74.9 x 9.9 mm Weight 175 g Battery Non-removable 3300 mAh

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The 13mP camera is impressive, even in low light while macro shots offer enough clarity to differentiate objects

and mesmerising display. Nestled nicely next to the front facing camera is the phone’s notification light, which exists in the majority of Android phones, but what OnePlus has done is made it very small and discreet. Yet it’s still sharp enough to grab your attention at the corner of your eye, as it slowly blinks on and off. Running around the edge of the phone is a space grey metal finish, which shows off

OnePlus’s attention to detail with its latest release. The bottom speakers are completely symmetrical and also line up with the headphone jack and noise-cancelling speaker, which gives it that high-end look you’d expect from a top-tier phone. Sadly it’s not perfect as one of the bottom speakers is actually false and projects no sound whatsoever. The holes replicating speakers on the left side of the USB plug are there purely for aesthetics, the omission of a second speaker is obviously a cost saving measure. The back of the phone is more for practicality and lifestyle than aesthetics but that does not mean it’s a tale of two phones. The back case is unique with it’s sandstone black cover, giving a safe and gripped sandpaper feel while contributing to the phone’s debonair look. The feeling of security in your hand is a relief due to the size of the phone. Although if you’re not feeling the sandpaper feel you can order the phone with a variety of different cases.

Camera

The camera is easy to use

We can’t expect the OnePlus 2 to compete with the S6’s overpowered camera, considering the price you won’t really expect it to. Despite that the 13 megapixel camera produces some really detailed pictures. You’ll have to zoom in pretty close before you start seeing pixelation in pictures. When taking macro shots the OnePlus 2 impressed with images that weren’t exactly sharp but with enough clarity to differentiate objects in the picture. The benefits of the inclusion of laser auto focus and optical image stabiliser can be seen immediately, as taking pictures is fast with reduced camera shakes. What greatly

impressed me was the quality of pictures taken under low-light,which means of course the camera knocks it out of the park when taking pictures in good lighting, especially with the HDR on. The downside of the camera is not the camera itself but the lack of manual options. You’re presented with three options when tapping the menu icon; beauty, HDR and clear image. Delving deeper into the options (which wasn’t that deep) you can bring up a grid to frame your shots and turn on the shutter sound. All very basic but so are the options on the iPhone 6. Which makes the camera very easy to use with no jargon too difficult to understand for casual photographers and social media addicts.

SCreen You’ll be forgiven for thinking what’s the difference between the OnePlus One and OnePlus 2. They both look almost exactly the same with a 5.5 inch screen and the same pixel per inch at 401. Which is also the same as the iPhone 6 Plus. With the above average ppi the clarity of the screen is definitely up there. OnePlus has boasted on how the screen performs well even in direct sunlight. A claim that we can say is not that accurate, but still viewable. Keeping with the subject of brightness, OnePlus internally tested the nits (measurement of brightness) level of its screen, and claims it is at a high 600 nits. Higher than the S6, iPhone 6 and HTC M9.

PerformanCe The OnePlus 2 is an extremely fast phone and you’d expect it to be with the Snapdragon 810 running things for the

www.whatmobile.net 15

review

there was no experience of lag or any disruption while playing Asphalt 8: Airborne

device. We ordered the higher model of the OnePlus 2, which packs 4GB of ram, more than the Samsung S6 and the lower end OnePlus 2, both with 3GB. In our Geekbench test, the OnePlus 2 scored amazingly well. On the single core test it scored 1,202, putting it pretty much on par with the S6, which scored 1,210. On the multi-core front, it has surpassed all expectations as it scored a mighty 4,712, beating the Samsung Galaxy Edge (4398) by a considerable margin. asphalt 8: airborne was our game of choice (surprise surprise) to push the OnePlus 2. During 30 minutes of gameplay there was no experience of lag or any disruption to the gameplay. The 4GB of ram really helps as I switched from the game to a text message and back again, with great ease, all in a few strokes. although the smartphone did heat up a little, not really surprising considering it has a Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810, which has a reputation for doing that (even though the latest version of Snapdragon 810 is meant to deal with this problem). The lower end model has 16GB of internal memory, 3GB of ram and costs £239. The high end version, which we have to review, has 64GB and 4GB of ram, retailing at £289.99.

The difference in cost is almost £50, which is a small difference and makes the high end version the obvious choice mainly because the OnePlus 2 has no expandable microSD card slot. If you’re a frequent photo snapper and sharer, the 16GB would not be ideal.

SOftwARE The user interface and navigation is fluid and comparable with any of the top end phones on the market. This is due to android Lollipop 5.1.1 and to make things even sweeter, OnePlus 2 buyers will also be getting the next android software update marshmallow 6.0. What I found pretty useless however is the three sound modes you can switch between when playing music or watching Netflix. music, movie, and game are the options. although music and movie are more suitable for their respective genres, you will most likely use the game mode as it is the loudest. NFC has been omitted because it wasn’t a “popular feature” but that’s soon to change. With android Pay on the horizon, OnePlus could be potentially shooting itself in the foot.

BAttERy The OnePlus gets so much right and one of

User interface and navigation is fluid

the very few faults it has includes the lack of a removable battery. But it seems that OnePlus has thought about this and decided to simply put in a bigger battery than everyone else in its phone so it can last an age. It has a 3300 mah battery which only lost 14% of battery from 30 minutes of intensive gaming. Even from general use I found that I had about 40% left late in the evening from 100% in the morning. Fast charging sadly does not feature here and charging the phone while using it really slows down the charging process. However, the OnePlus 2 does support USB Type-C making it so much easier for users to plug in their phone in the dark or early morning when you don’t feel like opening your eyes just yet.

VERdict With only its second device ever, OnePlus has knocked it out of the park with the OnePlus 2. It has improved a lot on the OnePlus One with the seemingly endless battery life, souped-up specs and, of course, the incredible price. OnePlus has a phone that is so affordable for the specs on offer that it would be foolish to pass up on.


+ The battery lasts an age + Cheap price + Powerful specs - Lack of fast charge and slow charging - No microSD slot - NFC omitted

OVERALL HHHHH Performance

HHHHH design

HHHHH

Usability

HHHHH featUres

HHHHH

Vote now to win one of four great smartphones provided by The What Mobile Awards 2015 are here. Tell us which products and services have impressed you most over the past 12 months and be in to win one of the world’s top smartphones. We’ve got an Apple iPhone 6, HTC M9, Samsung Galaxy S6 and Sony Xperia Z3 to give away to say ‘thank you’ to five lucky voters.

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Terms and Conditions: 1. The promoter of this competition is Clark White Publishing Ltd. 2. The competition is open to all UK residents aged 18 years or over, excluding employees of What Mobile, mobilephonesdirect, their agents or families and any company associated with this competition. 3. By entering, all entrants will be deemed to have accepted these rules. 4. All entry instructions form a part of the terms and conditions. 5. Closing date: 23 Ocober 2015. 6. Only one entry per email/IP address will be accepted. 7. The winning four entries will be selected randomly by the administrator of the What Mobile Facebook page. Winners must be UK residents, 8. No cash alternative or other device will be offered. 9. No correspondence will be entered into except that the name of the winner will be available upon written request.

review

apple iphone 6S The ‘S’ verion of the iPhone 6 has a few extra bells and whistles compared with its year-old predecessor. But are they enough to tempt current iPhone users to upgrade? Price: £539.00 Reviewer: Thomas Wellburn

4.7-inch screen with its 1334 x 750 resolution

Sapphire glass on the lens

New 7000 Series Aluminium casing

Spec Sheet OS iOS 9 processor 1.84 GHZ Dual Core Apple A9 Screen 4.7-inches Resolution 1334 x 750 pixels Memory 2GB RAM Storage 16/64/128GB MicroSD compatible? No Rear camera 12MP


at a glance Front camera 5MP Video 4K at 30FPS connectivity 4G Dimensions 138 x 67 x 7.1 mm Weight 143g Battery 1,712 mAh

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The new 12 megapixel isight camera is similar to the iPhone 6 but edges ahead slightly on overall detail and contrast

I

s it that time again already? Every September for the past few years, Apple has chosen to hold an event which focuses around the launch of a new iPhone device. This year, we reach version six of the provisional ‘s’ line. Seen by many as a placeholder until the eventual launch of the next major iPhone milestone, the ‘s’ handset has always been the less exciting launch of the two. This year, however, Apple actually has some quite significant upgrades going on under the hood of their new device. As the first smartphone to debut Force Touch (now renamed 3D Touch), it marks an important peak into the future of UI design for the company.

Design Those of you who are familiar with the Apple release scheduling system will already know that the ‘s’ line is more of an internal upgrade rather than a physical one. As such, when we received the iPhone 6s it was business as usual. The handset looks and feels exactly the same as the previous iPhone 6, which is no bad thing. Those who remember the ‘Bendgate’ disaster will also be happy to know that it is now made from a newer 7000 Series aluminium casing, which should hopefully be more resistant to the dreaded design flaw that plagued a few of the earlier devices. It feels incredibly comfortable in the hand with the curved edges providing a lovely grip. The aluminium body is quite smooth, meaning you’ll need to hold it tightly or risk having it slide out onto the floor. It’s also prone to scratches, so those with keys should

beware of carrying both in the same pocket. Interestingly, Apple has forgone Gorilla Glass in the new model and opted for their own Ion X glass. This material was previously used on the Apple Watch and is supposedly stronger than what Cornering are currently doing. It’s ever-so-slightly thicker than last year’s model and a bit heavier but it’s incredibly hard to notice even when comparing them side-by-side. It’s worth noting that despite the extra thickness, existing cases will fit the new iPhone 6s without any need for adjustment.

Camera Apple spent a lot of the conference talking about how its camera tech has improved compared with the previous generation and while that’s mostly true, the jump isn’t quite as obvious as expected. Make no mistake, the new 12 megapixel iSight camera is still a fantastic shooter but it doesn’t offer much over the previous iPhone 6. Photos on both devices are very similar, with the iPhone 6s only edging ahead slightly on overall detail and contrast. For the average smartphone user, they likely won’t notice any difference between the two in daylight pictures. Night scenarios are a different matter altogether, with a huge jump in quality over the previous iteration. Objects were generally much more visible and detailed without any additional gain noise. The lack of manual controls within the camera app is still an annoyance for me, though the auto function does a good job of compensating. It’s also nice to see the inclusion of sapphire glass on the lens, which should help to protect it from

scuffs and scratches. 4K is a standout feature on the iPhone 6s, though oddly it’s disabled by default. We can only assume that Apple has done this in an effort to help the regular conserve memory, as a typical 4K video will eat through the 16GB model in mere minutes. The omission of optical image stabilisation on the iPhone 6s (it’s available on the larger 6s Plus) is a big disappointment and it makes videos noticeably jerky at times. The excellent 5 megapixel front camera from last year has also be given a rather innovative improvement, using the screen as an actual flash. When in the use, the screen will flash twice. The first is used to calibrate

3D Touch is potentially a Ui game changer


review

pixilation and Apple has instead focused its efforts on other parts of the overall screen design. In terms of colour reproduction, this is still one of the most accurate panels you can find on a smartphone. It’s also one of the brightest screens available, making sunlight readability a major strength in its arsenal. Using the front screen as a flash is an interesting idea, though it did feel a little overbearing at times.

Performance

a ‘Siri Suggestions’ page has been added

the perfect colour tone for the scene, while the second flash is a little brighter and actually illuminates the shot. It’s an interesting idea, though it’s not really applicable for dark scenes. The screen just can’t get as bright as an LED flash and it seems more tailored for selfie use above anything else.

Screen The iPhone 6 already had a fantastic screen and we’re pretty sure that Apple has gone for the same panel in the iPhone 6s. Putting them side-by-side, there’s little to discern last year’s efforts from the new release. That means you’re getting the same 4.7-inch screen with its unique 1334 x 750 resolution, which equates to 326 pixels-per-inch. Compared with the Quad HD panels that now adorn most flagship Android devices, the resolution is starting to seem a bit measly on paper. The reality is that anything above 300ppi is good enough to avoid

Performance is one area where the iPhone 6s really excels versus last year’s model. It uses the new 1.84 GHz A9 chipset, which performs well despite still only being a dual-core. The chip uses a smaller fabrication process to squeeze out more power, with Samsung and TSMC handling the manufacturing. Users have reported that the phone can get unusually hot in operation though we were not able to replicate the issue during testing. It’s also had a RAM upgrade to 2GB, though Apple was understandably hush hush about this as the average Android device now ships with double that. Overall benchmark scores were excellent on the iPhone 6s, showing a strong improvement. Single-Core speed is more than 30% faster than any other smartphone currently available, which is a testament to the engineering team. Even with only two physical processor cores, it manages to come out top on the multi-core tests, beating current king, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.

Software Running the latest version of iOS 9, the experience is remarkably smooth and fluid. Once applications are cached and in memory, switching between them is near instantaneous. The new operating system adds a few new features such as a ‘Siri Suggestions’ page on the home screen, which can be accessed by swiping to the leftmost window. It acts like a

cross between Google Now and Cortana, proving recent contacts and apps while also displaying news content that it thinks is relevant to you. App switching has also undergone an improvement with larger page displays, while notifications are now sorted chronologically. Of course, the big feature in the iPhone 6s is 3D touch and it works brilliantly, adding a whole new level of interactivity. Some of the functions are pretty well hidden, meaning a bit of experimentation is needed to actually discover them. You also need to apply a fair bit of pressure for it to register, rather than a cautious press like I was first attempting. Peak is possibly the most useful feature to be included and could totally change the way I browse the UI, allowing quick glances of emails, song info… Pretty much anything.

Battery The battery on the new iPhone 6s is 1715 mAh which is roughly 100 mAh less than the previous iPhone 6. The surprising drop in juice reflects in the benchmark test, which is slightly lower. It scored a middling 5 hours 40 minutes, which is pretty average and no better than the previous generation. This area has never been a strong point of the iPhone series so it’s not really a surprise. Those looking to take the handset on long trips will also need to invest in a powerbar since the battery is once again non-removable.

concluSion Apple is at a difficult point in its life. When you’ve been at the top for so long, people almost expect every product to innovate and break records. While the iPhone 6s definitely tries in those fields, not everything is perfect this time round. It’s an amazing phone to be sure, but what interests me more is where it takes the technology in future iterations such as the iPhone 7. 3D Touch has the potential to be a game-changer and I’m eager to see what happens further down the line.

Verdict The iPhone 6s may not offer that much to warrant an immediate upgrade but it still has enough new features to welcome new adopters to the platform. Force Touch genuinely works well and has plenty of future potential, while the hardware and low-ligh camera improvements make this more than just a simple cash cow. Love ’em or hate ’em, the iPhone 6s is another big hit for Apple.


+ Excellent screen + Blistering performance + 3D touch more than a gimmick - Screen flash feels gimmicky - No battery life improvement - No optical image stabilisation

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iPhone 6s/6s Plus In Pictures Single-Core & Multi-Core performance

Although the iPhone 6s isn’t a monumental upgrade, there’s still plenty of features worth talking about. We’ve put together this handy infographic page to help you decide which one to get and more importantly, if it’s worth it. 5000 3000 4000 2500 3000 2000 2000 1500

1000 1000 0 0

Single

Multi

Single Multi

iPhone 6s

Single Multi Single

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iPhone 6

Multi Single Multi Single

iPhone 6 Plus

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

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LG G4

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3D TOUCH NEW FEATURES

iOS 9 NEW FEATURES

Our top three picks of the best new 3D Touch features

Our top three picks of the best new iOS 9 features

‘Peek’ mode for quick viewing apps

Much faster text editing

Additional App options

New App switcher interface

New Siri recommendations

Low Power Mode for better battery

HOW MUCH CAN I STORE ON EACH? 16GB

64GB

128GB

Standard quality MP3 (128kb/s):


5,714 songs

22,857 songs


45,714 songs

High quality MP3 (256kb/s):



2,857 songs

11,428 songs

22,857 songs

Front Camera (average size of 1.2MB):



13,333 photos

53,333 photos

106,666 photos

Rear Camera (average size of 2.2MB):



7,272 photos

29,090 photos

58,181 photos

4K video (50mb/s): 42 min



1080p 60FPS video (27mb/s): 79 min







review

Wileyfox swift

A wily new budget phone makes its debut – and deserves your immediate attention. Price: £129.00 Reviewer: Philip Brown

I

t’s strange to say but the biggest innovations in smartphones in the past year or two haven’t been at the top end. Sure, Samsung’s new Edge phones have wraparound screens and the iPhone 6s has 3D Touch. But the most exciting breakthrough has been the technologies companies are managing to squeeze into budget phones while still apparently breaking even. There’s the self-proclaimed, sub £300 ‘flagship killer’ OnePlus 2, as well as Motorola’s Moto handsets, serving up HD displays, 4G connections and the latest builds of Google’s Android OS for next to nothing. It’s into this fray that we have an unlikely new entrant, the Swift, from a new British company, Wileyfox. It’s a mere £129 off-contract, but it’s backed up by impressive specs and an unusual Android build, hacker haven Cyanogen. A glimpse of the specs sheet had us asking ‘What’s the catch?’, but so far we’ve not really found one.

Front panel is thoroughly orthodox

Touchscreen display

Design & BuilD

Volume and power buttons

spec sheet Os Android (Cyanogen 12.1) processor 1.2GHz quad-core screen 5.0 inches Resolution 1280 x 720 pixels Memory 2GB RAM storage 16GB MicrosD compatible? Yes

The design of the Swift is one of two halves, the front face and the back. The phone is relatively thin at 9.37mm (a tad leaner than the Motorola Moto G), but the construction is solid, with absolutely no give – impressive when you consider that the back panel comes off to let you get at the replaceable battery and microSD slot. You wouldn’t guess this to look at its front panel, a thoroughly orthodox black surface that hoards fingerprints. The screen is surrounded by a large bezel on all sides, and more obviously a somewhat unseemly lip where the sides join. You’ll quickly end up

at a glance camera 13MP rear-facing Video 1080p at 30fps connectivity Dual-SIM, 4G Dimensions 141.15mm x 71mm x 9.37mm Weight 135g Battery 2,500 mAh

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the 13mp rear camera is every bit as good as mid-priced rivals, while the camera app is feature packed but somewhat ungainly to use

with lint all along this narrow channel unless you use a case. If you were to look at this phone in a shop, you’d struggle to spot the difference from most other network-branded cheapo phones. Turn the phone over, though, and it’s a different story.

The Wileyfox Swift sports a matte plastic back cover with its logo embossed in the middle and typeface in a quiet orange beneath it. It’s nowhere near as garish as it sounds and, more importantly, is very comfortable to hold and use. Prise it off and you’ll find something even more surprising: dual SIM card slots so you can have two phone numbers tied to the device. It’s a niche feature and as a result a rare thing in a UK handset, but for those who want one phone for work and personal lines, it’s an awesome one and a real USP. Otherwise there are few surprises with the hardware: the volume and power buttons on the right hand side, while the 3.5mm jack sits on top and the micro USB port underneath.

Display

the handset is backed up by cyanogen 12.1

Most budget phones – OnePlus excepted – see some sort of compromise on the touchscreen display. The 5-inch screen on the Swift is spacious and responsive, but the 720p resolution is not all that sharp; you’ll notice the grain in fonts coming from a 1080p smartphone. Colour reproduction is not especially accurate either, certainly not compared to the warm Moto G display. The Swift does make up for this on other ways, however. For one, it’s extremely bright – to the point we’re surprised the handset doesn’t run hot. That means visibility outdoors is never an issue. Dig into the settings and you can not only adjust the

colour temperature, you can actually set it to different levels depending on the time of day. Hardcore Android aficionados will love this.

performance Quite how many will trade their Nexus in for a Swift though is unclear, as it’s also an inevitable downgrade in the specs. Not by too much, mind – the 64-bit Swift is powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor and packs in a generous 2GB of RAM. It’s fast enough for web browsing and YouTube videos, even a light bit of Crossy Road. That said, the CPU is clocked at 1.2GHz rather than the Moto G’s 1.4GHz, and the difference is noticeable. That may be more to do with Motorola’s obsessive software optimisation, but apps spring open slightly more quickly on the G than on the Swift. Not that you’ll mind too much: both phones manage every tasks with aplomb but falter under 3D games. The rear 13 megapixel camera is every bit the Moto G’s match: in fact, for image quality in decent light it’s every bit as good as midrange mobiles like the selfie-obsessed HTC Desire Eye. We even produced decent indoor shots. Its one downfall is the ugly Cyanogen camera app, which is feature packed but ungainly to use and actively unhelpful when it comes to framing shots in different aspect ratios. Still, with a bit of patience, you can extract respectable shots from it.

VerDict A good budget handset that struggles to stand out from the crowd, the Wileyfox Swift faces stiff competition from the likes of Motorola. Punch-forpunch, it has fetaures to match similar handsets but the difficulty of being an entirely new brand will make it hard to claw loyal fans away from other devices.

+ Fantastically clear display + Gorgeous design + Decent battery life - Photos can be dark and grainy - Struggles to run high-demand apps - A little pricey for its specs


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FEATURE

CYANOGEN

THE SECRET ANDROID BUILD YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

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s Google was once keen to stress, its Android operating system is open source. You can download the source code and completely alter it – it’s for this reason a Samsung Android phone looks different to a HTC. Each wants to put their own ’skin’ or experience atop Android.

is not homebrew, however – not any more. With financial backing from companies including Twitter and mobile titan Qualcomm, it’s a big business, with rapidly improving design to match its customisability. The smartphone market is becoming ever more competitive, and even some manufacturers are spotting an opportunity.

That can be confusing, but it’s also liberating. It’s not just manufacturers that can alter Android: so can users. One of the most popular community-generated Android builds is CyanogenMod. Named after creator Steve Kondik (AKA ‘Cyanogen’), it’s a firmware that takes Android as its base, but focuses on providing many more options not typically available to users, including power and CPU settings.

Oppo partnered with Cyanogen Inc to release a version of its N1 flagship running Cyanogen OS, a build of Cyanogen designed specifically for OEMs, and then in 2014 the fantastically priced OnePlus One was one of the first major phones to ship in the West with Cyanogen out of the box. Huawei is now helping Cyanogen with support for its devices. And the brand new Wileyfox Swift reviewed this issue – runs Cyanogen, letting you tinker with the phone’s design to an unprecedented degree for an otherwise budget device. Cyanogen is here to stay – if you want to install it for your device head to cyanogenmod.org to see if it is supported.

Because CyanogenMod as old as Android by volunteers and release cycle, it is major new devices as

– which is almost itself – is overseen updated on a rolling often quickly ported to they launch. Cyanogen

A vanilla Android Nexus device homescreen

LAYOUT

A Cyanogen homescreen

At a glance the two platforms look extremely similar. In truth, they are. You can change the ‘launchers’ (think homescreen layout and design) of both very easily. But Cyanogen lets you get much, much deeper.

On most Android phones you’ll need to head to the Play store to download a customisable launcher to change the themes

MODIFICATION

The Themes app on Cyanogen makes this possible straight from the homescreen

Cyanogen’s Themes app makes it beyond easy to apply new looks to your homescreen. You simply pick new ones and tap to apply (some are paid, some are free). You can even tailor individual elements, from how the status bar looks to the font, even what animation you see when you boot the phone up.




FEATURE

 Samsung phones come preloaded with confusing apps that duplicate core Google service and hog valuable storage

SPAMWARE

Cyanogen is light on preloaded apps – as light as they come

Spot the difference? Samsung, Sony and other major manufacturers’ phones are often cluttered with horrible bloatware you can only ‘disable’ rather than delete. Cyanogen just throws it all out, letting you do as you see fit with your own storage.

Most Android phones will only let you dial up and down screen brightness

OVERCLOCK

With Cyanogen you can calibrate the screen to your preference

The more adventurous can start tinkering with the tech under the bonnet in Cyanogen. You probably know how to adjust your screen’s brightness, but a Cyanogen phone will also let you adjust the colour www.whatmobile.net 27 temperature and calibration, so if you prefer a warmer look you can. In CyanogenMod, with Developer mode enabled (tap Build Number in Settings>About Phone seven times at your own risk) you can adjust CPU and GPU performance in Settings>Performance, which can gain you valuable battery life back.

THE CASE FOR CYANOGEN Better battery life CyanogenMod – but not the proprietary Cyanogen OS baked into some phones – lets you overclock your phone’s processor to get more performance out of it. However, it also lets you cap clock speed, noticeably extending battery life – great news if you’d rather have a phone that runs for two days on a charge than one that tanks in a morning but can edit 4K video.

More apps for Amazon There are several CyanogenMod builds for the Android-based Kindle Fire devices. This is particularly handy since Amazon sells its hardware at very low prices, but removes all the recognisable elements of Android, including the vastly superior Play app store. Installing CyanogenMod lets you add them right back in.

It gives old devices a new lease of life Manufacturers eventually stop pushing out major upgrades to their old phones, so while in theory your Google Nexus S or Samsung Galaxy S II has reached end of life, CyanogenMod can help it almost up to date with the news phones – at least for features, if not performance.

THE CASE AGAINST CYANOGEN You are on your own Lots of phones can run CyanogenMod, but only a few ship with CyanogenOS preloaded. It’s relatively easy to install for the most part, but check your manual – it will almost certainly void your warranty, so if a fault develops you’ll be left footing the bill. There’s a vibrant community around Cyanogen, however, who are happy to help troubleshoot, so all is not lost. But instructions are too lengthy (and varied) to explain here, so make sure you’re prepared by schooling up on terms like ‘root’, ‘flashing’ and ‘recovery’. Don’t even think about attempting it until you understand the concept first.

Not all devices support it There are countless Android devices on the market right now, each with different chipsets, screens and radios. As such, CyanogenMod has to be tailored to work for each device. The list of handsets and tablets supported by volunteers is extensive, but by no means total, and your mileage will vary – cheap budget handsets from phone networks in particular often get no Cyanogen love and attention.

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review

Vector luna smartwatch

A smartwatch with unrivalled design and battery life but an entirely absent eco-system. Price: £219.00 Reviewer: Philip Brown

I

t’s high time somebody disrupted the narrative of the Silicon Valley disruptor. Still a nascent product category, smartwatches have so far been dominated by internet giants, laptop manufacturers and venture-backed Kickstarter darlings; meanwhile, all those staid watch companies from Casio to Rolex haven’t had a look in. Frankly, it’s getting a little tedious, so it’s refreshing to see a company like Vector come along and put the hackers back in their place. It’s staffed with veterans from watch companies including Timex and Fossil, and its first product, the Luna smartwatch, stole the show at the Baselworld watch convention earlier this year, thanks to its classic design and an emphasis on something Google, Apple, Sony et all seem to have completely forgotten about: battery life. On paper, the £219 Luna should royally trounce these Young Turks. In practice, you soon find yourself wondering if some of those sunkissed California brogrammers slurping on soylent slushies and killing it wouldn’t mind throwing some of their knowledge Vector’s way nonetheless, because everything really does need apps.

As you might expect from companies better used to making web browsers or TV screens, the design of most smartwatches we’ve seen so far has been perfunctory at best. Even the pricey Apple Watch looks like a Casio calculator watch with no clothes on. Not the Luna though; this is a watch first and foremost, one blessed with a natural intelligence, not a Bluetooth enabled device with a leather strap bolted on as an afterthought.

We tested the metal, circular edition of the Luna (a more subtle square model is on the way), and quite honestly it’s in a class of its own. It’s chunky, like an LG G Watch R, but with none of the childish Baby-G stylings. A classy strap connects up to a 11mm thick smooth circular disc which curves up to a completely circular display, albeit inset by a thick black bezel. It’s very simple, and elegant as a result, something no other smartwatch manufacturer has managed yet. It makes the Pebble Time, its foremost rival since it too works with Android and iOS, look like a toy from a cereal packet. That said, unlike the Time, the Luna lacks a colour screen. Instead, it sports a low-res black and white display to show you the time and notifications; it’s perfectly visible even in broad sunlight – notifications appear as a thick white line around the clock face and you can either tilt to look at the them or press the central button on

spec sheet

at a glance

Design & BuilD

Os Custom storage No MicrosD compatible? No camera No Video No connectivity Bluetooth LE Dimensions 44 x 44 x 11mm Weight 142g Battery 30 days


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the side. Importantly, the display is not a touchscreen: you simply control notifications and watch faces from the buttons on the side. This also has the benefit of preserving battery life, which is useful when the monochrome screen is always on, you know, like a real watch rather than most smartwatches, which require a comical flick of the wrist to activate. Let’s talk about that battery life, since it’s the Luna’s true USP despite the handsome exterior. The Luna absolutely lives up to Vector’s claims of one month battery life, even with the display on 24 hours and notifications constantly pouring in. (It’s worth noting that you can only view battery life through the app

review

on your phone; in practice this isn’t an issue since you only have to remember to charge it up on your nightstand once every three weeks or so using the charger that bolts onto the back of the face.) If you’re after a smartwatch but worried about how much charge it’ll hold after a year of use (something we’re yet to learn about the Apple Watch), then this should bump the Luna right up to the top of your shopping list.

Software To emphasise its unique position, Vector has built its own custom operating system for the Luna, which is in some ways inspired, and in others utterly lacking. It’s fast and reliable, but crucially the Luna is not for interacting with your phone from your wrist – there’s no music track controls yet, and you can’t even answer a call from it, only send it to answerphone. Instead, the Luna is about showing you what’s upcoming. After quickly pairing via Bluetooth, you can see on ‘analog’ watch faces what hours you have events in your calendar that day, as well as who emails and messages are from (once you clear these away with a button press, they’re gone from your watch for good). You can pick your watch face from the perfunctory smartphone app, which shows things like steps versus your goals, distance covered (which seems fairly accurate, though the sleep quality gauge is utterly meaningless) and lets you set multiple alarms, with the promise of more designs to come. You can choose digital watch faces too, but you’ll want to pick one which has space for the Luna’s best software feature: streams. These are simply lines of data, but they’re always up to date and always on show, so you can see different world time zones of your choosing, your live step count or even stock prices. These are actually incredibly subtle, personal and convenient, and an innovation we hope others steal – there are actually very, very few devices that show your live step count at all times, with no button press required. Notifications on the other hand are a

complex beast. Actually, on the Luna they’re just a bit of a mess. A quiet vibration alerts you to anything incoming, but because they’re simply pulled from whatever your smartphone spits out, they vary wildly. On Android, for instance, Google Talk messages appear with the first lines of a message (handy), but emails often appear with only the sender’s name, and not even a subject line. The same is true for WhatsApp conversations. When that happens, you find yourself just opening your phone anyway. There’s no simple way to tailor notifications on what emails make it through to your wrist either – you’ll have to play around with your email app of choice to see what works. This does at least mean you can customise to your heart’s content – there’s a lot you can do if you know your way around apps like If This Then That or Tasker – but for smartwatch novices, it’ll be a daunting, uphill process. In fact, that’s the Luna’s biggest drawback, not the design, not even the price: the question mark hovering over it is third party support in future. This is uncharted territory for Vector, and it’s still finding its way, figuring out which Android, Apple and Windows Phone apps push what to wearables (the company has yet to find a reliable way to push Google Maps directions, for instance). It’s barely even started on getting third party developers involved: there are a few ‘apps’ which are just news tickers from sites like BBC News and Cnet, but they’re all from Vector itself. There’s no existing eco-system, which presents a real risk to potential purchasers, when Pebble has managed to get so many developers and services on board with its platform. You need to be willing to gamble with the Luna: you could be getting the ultimate smartwatch, but it also might never become more than what it is now, an early warning system for all of your emails. One thing we’re as sure of though, so certain you could set your watch by it: a Vector watch with Pebble’s app support would be a force to reckon with Apple and Google.

Multi-talented rivals While Android Wear tickers and the Apple Watch are restricted to working with their smartphone siblings, there are several smartwatches that work on both platforms – some even on Windows Phone too. Here are some of the other jacks of all trades worth a watch.

PebbLe tiMe (£179) A Kickstarter darling, the Pebble Time is the only smartwatch out there with a colour screen and a seven day battery life. It works with Android and iPhone, but its main selling point is a huge eco-system of developers on board already. The drawback? It has the design aesthetic of a 1980s digital watch.

aLcateL onetouch (£99) A bargain on paper, the OneTouch’s analog stylings are certainly preferable to a Pebble, but the company’s own custom OS is limited, much like the Vector’s. You can’t react to notifications or receive directions via the screen. Best for fitness fans who can enjoy the heart rate monitor and music track controls while keeping a distant eye on work emails..

fitbit Surge (froM £160) More a fitness watch meant to be worn all day than a true smartwatch, the Surge can still handle many of the same duties: it lets you change tunes on your Android or iPhone’s music players and shows call and text notifications. GPS tracking means it’s much more accurate for tracking your runs and hikes.

Verdict An ambitious attempt to inject some much-needed class into the smartwatch. It’s beautiful. But the level of interactivity is minimal and its software lacking. Ultimately, we came away wondering what a Pebble Time with Vector’s hardware and battery life might be like. We can only hope this becomes just that, but the company has a long road to travel first.

+ Beautiful design + Excellent battery life + Screen always on - Complex notification system - Lacks Pebble developer support - Most information sent only one way

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motorola moto g (3rd gen) With weighty expectations on its shoulders, Motorola’s hugely successful budget handset reaches its third iteration. Will it continue to reign supreme? Price: £159.00 Reviewer: Thomas Wellburn

I

f you cast your eyes back to the Motorola Mobility event in July, the company announced a flurry of new devices. The Moto G represents the budget end of the spectrum, costing just £150 from most online retailers. As the third iteration in a successful legacy, it has some big expectations on its shoulders. Thankfully, the company has continually improved the device and it remains competitive.

5-inch IPS panel

13MP rear sensor

Design If you’ve seen the second generation Moto G, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was the same device if viewed from the front. It has the same black or white monolithic appearance, with the polycarbonate material doing little to truly make it stand out. Moto Maker makes a triumphant return, allowing complete customisation of the materials. Oddly, the stereo speakers that were included in the second gen version are now gone. Only one of the two giant front grilles now operates as a speaker, with the other mainly being there for show. I’m not quite sure why Motorola has chosen to remove this, as it was a nice feature on the previous Moto G. Still, the added bonus of full waterproofing is a welcome feature that makes up for this. On the rear, there’s a couple of subtle welcome changes. The grippy matte finish on the original Moto G is gone and has now been replaced by a textured rubber which feels even more secure in the hand. This is definitely one of the most snug devices I have ever held and it fills me with plenty of reassurance that it won’t slip out of the hand like butter. There’s also a new piece of contrasting plastic trim which

speC sheet Os Android Lollipop v5.1.1 processor 1.4 GHZ Snapdragon 410 screen 5.0-inches resolution 1280 x 720 pixels memory 1 GB RAM (8GB), 2 GB RAM (16GB) storage 8 GB/16GB microsD compatible? Yes, up to 128GB


surrounds the sensor, with the familiar Motorola logo proudly embossed into it just underneath. The single LED flash has now been replaced with a dual LED variant, which should help to illuminate those low-light shots a little better. It also has an excellent weight to it with near-perfect distribution across the device. On the right hand side you’ll find the volume and power keys, which again have a very similar feel to the ones on the previous Moto G. Sturdy and with minimal travel, they should be able to stand up to a fair amount of abuse. The rear case is removable, revealing a sim tray and microSD slot only. The battery lies inside the device and cannot be replaced, which is a real shame considering this was one of the main annoyances surrounding the second gen version.

Camera The Moto G has what could be the best rear camera at this price-point. With a 13 megapixel sensor, it already beats most other comparative devices on the market, though it’s the image quality that really sets this thing apart. Colour reproduction is outstanding with a real sense of vibrancy to each image. Shots are also well exposed in bright conditions and the software does a good job of adjusting to its surroundings. Low-light shots are also impressive, though the insistence on using the built-in flash can produce harsh images in certain conditions. For such a great camera, we were disappointed to find a lack of manual controls. We understand this is marketed at the type of users who may not necessarily

at a glanCe rear camera 13MP Front camera 5MP Video 1080p Connectivity 4G Dimensions 142 x 72 x 11.6 mm Weight 155g Battery 2,470mAh

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the camera beats most other comparative devices on the market but lacks manual controls

need such tools but it would’ve been nice to see more than just two basic controls. This is a quality sensor that cries out for deeper controls and we urge you to take advantage of the new Lollipop camera API and download a dedicated third-party application like Camera FV-5. Besides the rear camera, the new Moto G is also equipped with an equally good front camera. The 5 megapixel front sensor does a good job of taking selfies with little noise in all but the darkest of conditions. Detail is well retained with little in the way of artefacts or crosstalk.

Screen The Moto G third generation carries a 5-inch IPS panel with a resolution of 1280 x 720. This equates to roughly 294 pixels per inch, which is just shy of the minimum print standard. Pixilation is never really evident even when viewed at close distances and colours are well represented with plenty of vibrancy. Viewing angles are excellent, with the screen perfectly viewable with no distortion even at the most extreme angles. Maximum brightness is acceptable, with enough illumination to make it viewable under reasonably bright conditions. Those under direct sunlight are likely to struggle, however.

Performance Like almost every smartphone at this price, the new Motorola Moto G uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410. This is a jump up from the previous generation, which used a Snapdragon 400. An overall PassMark score of 2976 sits in the higher tier of devices powered by said chip, despite only having 1GB RAM. The included 8GB of internal memory in our review model was tiny, with the Android OS using roughly a fifth of the overall space. Memory cards cost nothing these days so it’s hardly a huge issue. Playing Asphalt 8: Airborne was a surprisingly smooth experience considering the low-end Snapdragon, with high settings only introducing a subtle frame-rate drop. While it wasn’t buttery smooth, it was most definitely playable. It was only on the more visually intensive levels where things got slower and this was hardly game-breaking.

Software Running a near-stock version of Android 5.1.1, the user experience on the new Moto G is both smooth and fluid. Motorola has carried across the Moto app which first debuted in the Moto X. It includes most of the features found in the original and they’ve been tweaked to work better. The ‘Places’ feature is fantastic and adjusts notification

the moto G can be personalised

sounds according to your location. ‘Actions’ allows gesture control of the device through various motions, such as making a chopping motion to turn the flashlight on. The final feature is ‘Display’, which operates as a glance function for notifications. The amount of detail shown on the lock screen can be completely customised.

Battery The battery on the new Moto G is 2,470 mAh, which is above average for this pricepoint. Our battery drain benchmarking test measured a respectable 7 hours 31 minutes under constant use, which is a good result. In real world scenarios, I was easily able to make it through a day of moderate use before I had to reach for the charger. The phone doesn’t have a removable battery, which means you’ll need to lug around a powerbar if you want to go on any overnight trips.

Verdict Motorola has done it again with another excellent device that punches above its weight and mostly improves on its predecessor. It’s a gloriously consistent device that doesn’t necessarily excel but offers perfectly fine performance across the board. Every area is catered for here, offering impressive battery life, a brilliant camera and adequate performance. If you’re looking for a solid Android device that won’t break the bank, the Moto G is worth some serious consideration.

+ Excellent camera + Good performance + Impressive battery life - Removal of front speaker - Non-removable battery - Not the brightest screen


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acer liquid Z220

Acer’s new smartphone is one of the cheapest on the market but will it stand up to expectations? Price: £50.00 Reviewer: Manny Pham

Faux leather back case

caters to the lower end of the mobile market and has solidified that reputation further with the Z220.

Design The Z220 sadly looks like a budget phone from the front, the main reason being the dead space around the screen. The space at the bottom of the phone houses nothing but the noise-cancelling microphone. All of the touch interface is done on the screen when it could have been utilised in the dead space. The matte black does a decent job in giving the phone a sophisticated feel and the faux leather design on the plastic back case enhances that, which makes it a crying shame that the design isn’t consistent throughout the phone. The back case continues to impress with a fingerprints test, which it passed with flying colours. A ribbed silver band runs around the edge of the phone giving it a unique feel. It feels secure in your hand as the ribbed edges provides friction and making it less likely you’ll drop it.

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4-inch display

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cer has made a daring leap to the top of the budget phone market by going to the bottom with the release of the Acer Liquid Z220, its cheapest Android phone to date. But what makes this particular budget phone special is

that it’s the first Acer phone to ship running Google’s Lollipop 5.0 operating system. Acer is well associated with personal computers, boasting it is the fourth largest personal computer vendor in the world in 2014. In the world of mobile phones, however, Acer

speC sheet Os Android Lollipop v5.0 processor 1.2 GHZ Qualcomm MSM8210 Dual-core screen 4.0-inches resolution 480 x 800 pixels memory 1 GB RAM (8GB), 2 GB RAM (16GB) storage 8 GB


The camera boasts a meek 5 megapixels, which produces quite low quality pictures. You will definitely not be using the Z220 as your primary camera for weekends away. The camera also features autofocus, which is a lovely surprise considering it’s a budget phone. The autofocus takes a while to focus but considering the price it is a great positive. The camera continues to surprise with autoexposure, which does a good job in adjusting to the right levels for your pictures, albeit with a longer delay than desired. The front-facing camera is 2 megapixels, which means selfies

at a glanCe microsD compatible? Yes, up to 32GB rear camera 5MP Front camera 2MP Video 720p Connectivity 3G Dimensions 125.3 x 64 x 9.6 mm Weight 120g Battery 1300mAh

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the 5mP rear camera produces quite low quality pictures

are almost out of the question. Pictures with the self-facing camera tend to always carry noise and are almost never clear.

Screen The window to the soul of any smartphone should always be impressive and sadly the Acer Z220’s 4-inch display does not. With a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels, which equates to a pixel density of 233ppi, the screen is well below the average density of roughly 294 per inch. The biggest problem with the screen is the woeful viewing angles. During our performance review, in which we used Asphalt 8: Airborne to push the phone, we found the game impossible to play. When making a turn at a sharp corner or scoring a record-breaking drift, you’ll have to do the last third blind as it is almost impossible to see what you’re doing due to the poor quality of the screen. Basically all games that require motion should be ruled out for the Z220. Another major downfall for the screen is how unresponsive it can be. At times we found ourselves having to double tap the screen to simply launch an app. Texting proved to be a challenge as the 4-inch display works against big hands. Combine that with an at times unresponsive screen results in grafting for a simple text message.

Performance Inside the Acer Z220 is a 1.2 GHZ Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor, the oldest Snapdragon processor by Qualcomm, which is expected inside a budget phone. The processor does the job in keeping the phone running as you jump between apps. Running only with 1GB of RAM, the Z220 performs well while running apps, but be warned, the more apps you open the more you’ll see the limits of the phone. Crossing from Asphalt 8: Airborne to the call app, we discovered significant lag in the crossover. The usual benchmarking game of Asphalt 8: Airborne performed surprisingly well on the Z220. While playing it for 30 minutes we experienced no lag or any form of stuttering during the performance test. But the Z220 did suffer from long loading times, hardly what you want when you want to quickly get something going for the short but arduous journey home. The good news is that the Z220 has expandable memory, allowing you to use micro SD cards up to 32GB. Which means more space for music! But it is really recommended to buy external earphones as the ones bundled in the box are inept at drowning out the sounds of the city, not offering that escape that we crave from time to time.

autofocus is a nice touch

Software Lollipop version 5.0 comes ready with the Z220, which makes it standout as a budget phone. Aside from animations, effects and icon size, Lollipop is bolder and simpler. Which makes the phone feel modern. Lollipop 5.0 equips the device with many great features such as Google’s card-based multi-tasking system and improved notifications, making it even easier to navigate the user interface.

Battery Battery life is poor, to say the least, with 30 minutes of continuous gaming draining 18% of the battery life. Definitely not a phone you can get a day’s use out of. The Z220 does have a removable battery, which is located on the back of the phone once you remove the svelte back case. It is highly recommended to carry a second fully charged battery to ensure that you’re not stranded without a phone. As in today’s day and age, to be caught without your trusty smartphone renders you dead in the water.

Verdict The Acer Z220 is a solid phone and that’s all it really is. It performs solidly as a communications device but anything extra-curricular is asking too much. Should you decide to purchase one, there are too many add-ons you have to purchase externally to make it a worthwhile purchase. Which defeats the purpose of a budget phone. But if you’re looking for a budget phone that can connect to the internet, make calls and text, this could be for you.

+ Nice design + Lollipop 5.0 + Great price - Battery life is dismal - Screen lacks quality - Terrible interface


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review

huawei honor 7 Huawei is at it again with a new follow-up addition to its premium Honor range. Can this midrange handset compete with the best flagship models? Price: £250.00 Reviewer: Thomas Wellburn

20MP rear camera

Attractive device

Fingerprint sensor

Spec Sheet OS Android Lollipop v5.0 processor Kirin 935 (8 cores: 2.2 GHz quad core + 1.5 GHz quad-core) Screen 5.2-inches Resolution 1920 x 1080 pixels Memory 3GB Storage 16GB/ 64GB MicroSD compatible? Yes, up to 128GB


at a glance Rear camera 20MP Front camera 8MP Video 1080p connectivity 4G Dimensions 143 x 72 x 8.5 mm Weight 157g Battery 3,100mAh

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alter exposure, ISO and the like, I had to dive into a settings sub-menu and scroll down to image adjustments. This seemed incredibly counter-intuitive and one has to wonder why they didn’t just put a quick-link directly onto the camera window.

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‘Light painting’ mode uses a long shutter speed to create spectacular light trails

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uawei sub-brand Honor has continued to make a name for itself thanks to competitively priced handsets that perform very close to the best flagships money can buy. The previous Honor 6 was a big hit, with impressive performance and a cheap price tag. The newer Honor 7 aims to carry on the success with an updated design and improved hardware. Will it succeed?

Design The Honor 7 is an attractive device that tries and mostly succeeds to compete with those at a much higher price-point. With a brushed aluminium finish that encompasses the rear of the handset, it certainly has a premium appeal. Honor has taken the best bits from numerous devices and thrown them together in an inspired design. There’s a hint of iPhone and a dab of HTC, finished off with a sprinkle of Samsung. Unfortunately, the two bits of plastic at the top and bottom somewhat detract from the overall experience. On the rear, you’ll find the fingerprint and camera sensors, plus a dual-LED flash for better illumination in low-light. The camera lens itself benefits from having tough sapphire glass on the outside, meaning there should be less chance of causing any deep scratches. One the sides you’ll find a volume rocker and power button, plus a special smart key which we’ll get to later. There’s also a dual SIM slot where the second SIM holder doubles up as a micro SD slot.

paper, though as we know, megapixels don’t necessarily mean everything. In practice I was pretty impressed with it but not blown away. The images show a great deal of detail and very little noise but I couldn’t help feeling that they seemed somewhat dull. Colours are very natural but I do miss the vibrancy from other devices such as the new Moto G (also reviewed in this issue). There’s no shortage of features on-board, including the obligatory ‘beauty mode’ which tends to ship on most Asian devices. Adjusting the slider will give you virtual airbrushing effect which ranges from subtle to doll-like perfection. There’s also a very cool ‘light painting’ mode, which uses a long shutter speed to create some spectacular looking light trails. It’s a bit difficult to use without a tripod but I still managed to get some impressive results by hand. One irritating thing regarding the camera application is how the juicy settings are buried deep within the user interface. To

The Honor 7 uses a cutting-edge 5.2inch IPS-Neo screen, which alters the manufacturing process of the LCD molecules to create better viewing angles and contrast. Since viewing angles are mostly stellar on all but the cheapest of modern handsets, there wasn’t any real-world difference when using the Honor 7 versus other smartphones on the market. With a 1080p resolution, it equates to roughly 424 pixels-per-inch. This puts it well above the minimum print resolution standard, meaning text and images are completely free of pixilation. While it can’t compete with the QHD screens currently on flagships such as the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, this is a perfectly acceptable panel given the price. Maximum brightness was impressive, beating other devices such as the OnePlus 2 which exist in the same price-bracket. I also found the colour tone to be quite neutral with some excellent contrast; colours felt like they were popping out of the screen. Overall, this device has a very good panel.

PerformanCe Huawei has continually ditched Qualcomm in favour of Chinese microprocessor manufacturer HiSilicon and the new Honor 7 is no exception. It uses the latest Kirin 935 processor, which is the company’s flagship chip. Designed to compete with the top-end

Camera Featuring a 20 megapixel rear camera, the Honor 7 is way ahead of the competition on

The camera captured detailed, if somewhat dull, images


review

be that the Kirin GPU simply can’t compete with the likes of Qualcomm’s offerings.

Software

user interface design has a hint of apple

Qualcomm chips, it mostly hits the mark but suffers from some rather odd performance issues. The single-core benchmark score of 920 puts it in the same level as the last generation HTC One M8, which is a little disappointing. The multi-core score of 3552 is much better, with only the class-leading Samsung Exynos chips beating it. In practice, navigating the UI is quick and smooth but the gaming aspect takes a massive hit. Playing Asphalt 8: Airborne at medium settings was excellent, but pushing things up to high resulted in a disappointing experience. The unpredictable frame rate distracted heavily from the overall gameplay. At times it would be buttery smooth, only for the game to randomly slow down and stutter uncontrollably. This could be something that a simple firmware update could fix, or it may

The Honor 7 runs on Android 5.0, bringing material design themes and performance improvements to boot. Along with the Huawei P8, it also has the latest 3.1 version of the Emotion UI. This custom Android launcher is commonplace on most Huawei devices and is known for having some pretty substantial changes versus the stock software. There’s definitely a hint of Apple in the overall UI design, with frosted translucent overlays and slim-line icons in a cool teal finish. The notification and quickaccess panels in particular seem to scream iPhone, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. That said, there are still some areas that hamper the experience and feel somewhat counter-intuitive. The app tray remains completely absent, which is a feature you’ll either love or hate depending on how you typically manage your applications. The recent apps page is also displayed in a 2x2 grid, which displays far less overall information than the default Material viewer included with Android. The Smart Key which we mentioned earlier integrates with the Emotion UI to provide customisable shortcuts according to the tactile feedback applied by the user. The ability to hotkey multiple apps to the button is pretty useful and I found myself using it quite heavily for immediate access to music, fitness and camera applications.

Battery The Honor 7 has a very large 3,100 mAh battery which should mean excellent battery life. However, it seems that the Kirin chip has once again let it down as our battery test measured a less-than-average seven hours 54 minutes. This is only slightly better than handsets with a fraction of the battery capacity, so it makes you wonder where the extra juice is going. A quick-charge feature is built into the

Honor 7 features the emotion user interface

Honor 7 which allows it to reach 50 per cent in about 30 minutes and full charge in 1 hour and 25 minutes. As is commonplace with metal unibody devices, the battery is nonremovable.

ConCluSion For anybody who wants a mid-range smartphone, the Honor 7 is a solid choice and more readily available than the comparative OnePlus 2. A flawed gem would be the best way to describe it, as the device has great aesthetic appeal and some excellent features both physically and on the software side. Navigating the flashy Emotion UI is a wonderfully smooth experience and it’s just a shame that the gaming performance and battery life are so decidedly average.

VerdiCt The Honor 7 is a solid handset that has the looks and appeal to captivate many buyers. It’s got a great screen and impressive camera which has a few unique features up its sleeve. Unfortunately, it also suffers from mixed performance that seems to be a result of the Kirin chipset. If you’re a keen mobile gamer, this could be an issue.


+ Good camera + Appealing design + Excellent screen - Mixed gaming performance - Non-removable battery - Semi-plastic finish


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GadGets, Gifts and accessories

iPad Decks 01 / Alesis iO Mix Cheapest price: £139.99

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The Alesis iO Mix is a four-channel mixer interface for the iPad tablet that provides a lot of connectivity for a cheap price. This is reflected in the design, which is mostly definitely on the plastic side. Buttons and knobs wobble heavily, while the budget materials don’t exactly conjure up the image of ‘premium equipment’. Still, this is not a premium device so such a comparison would be unfair. Unsurprisingly, the limitations of the iPad audio interface itself are the biggest annoyance. The Alesis iO Mix is quite capable of multitrack recording up to four devices, whereas the iPad can only manage two at best. We tried it through various sources including microphone, guitar and even some synth recording. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to control synthesizers from within your DAW due to a lack of midi or USB connectivity. Pre-amps were acceptable in quality and phantom power is a big plus. Gain levels were a little disappointing, with more sensitive devices struggling to get the volume needed for comfortable recording. On the other hand, overall signal noise was low when paired with a good input source. The low-latency feature worked well, with no noticeable delay when tracking live audio.

Verdict: To get a true iPad mixer for only £139.99 from some retailers, there is little to get particularly grumpy about.

+ Pleasingly cheap + Low noise pre-amps + Lots of input connectivity

- Feels quite plastic - iPad connector is a little fiddly - No Midi

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02 / Alesis iO Dock II Cheapest price: £129.00

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The Alesis iO Dock II is a direct successor to the first iteration and on passing glance you’d be hard-pressed to see any difference. On the rear we find that the video out jack has disappeared, which could be a concern for those who want to see things on the big screen. On the plus side, the connector has been altered to function much like the iO Mix. This allows it to be compatible with far more iPad devices, though newer models won’t exactly fit correctly. On the topic of fit, even older generation iPads feel somewhat loose when inside the iO Dock. It is lucky that the device remains most of its life in a stationary position on the table, as I’d be worried about my precious tablet falling out otherwise. Connectivity options more than make up for this however, with two microphone inputs, phantom power and USB/ Midi connectivity. The latter is an excellent addition that allows the use of external hardware such as a keyboard or synthesizer. It is even possible to use it as a Midi controller within a desktop environment, as I discovered when I used it within Cubase to control a soft-synth. With regards to preamp quality and overall sound it is almost identical to the iO Mix, which is no bad thing either.

Verdict: While it doesn’t have the input connectivity of the iO Mix, we’d argue that the inclusion of Midi connectivity actually makes the iO Dock more versatile.

+ Enough connectivity + Midi and USB a big bonus + Cheap 38 www.whatmobile.net

- Feels plastic - iPad doesn’t exactly feel secure - Video out jack disappeared

gadgets, gifts and accessories

Audio Interfaces 03 / IK Multimedia iRig Pro Cheapest price: £86.99

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The iRig Pro is a versatile audio interface that works on all iOS devices. Featuring a combo XLR/Jack cable, it includes phantom power via a handy 9V battery included in the box. Various breakout cables also allow both audio and Midi information to be transmitted, making it a handy device for all kinds of uses. Unlike the iRig UA, which focuses primarily on guitar, the Pro can be used for vocals and instruments. Connecting it is simple and the host of included cables mean that it’s compatible with both older and newer Apple devices. Build quality is a little on the plastic side, with the gain dial wobbling under strenuous use. Still, the unit carries a clean appearance and the rubberised finish does a good job of keeping it steady on a slippery surface. The lack of a headphone jack is a minor annoyance which isn’t so much of an issue on iOS due to the reliable latency-free recording. The iOS version ships with three completely free pieces of software. The first is the AmpliTube application, which offers the same experience as its Android counterpart. There’s also the popular sampler SampleTank included, plus an excellent iGrand Piano emulator app. All in all a very complete package.

Verdict: A brilliant audio interface that has all the connectivity you could ever need in a tiny, convenient package.

+ Phantom power + Plenty of bundled apps + Tons of connectivity for its size

- Average build - Gain and phantom power dials fiddly - No headphone out

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04 / IK Multimedia iRig UA Cheapest price: £71.00

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Latency has always been something of an issue for Android. Aside from a select group of higher-end devices, most have a rather unfavourable amount of lag between actually recording something and hearing it in playback. IK Multimedia has done away with this and released the iRig UA, which carries out all the audio processing in a tiny no bigger than a bulky credit card. Aimed at electric guitar users, the device is for smartphones only and there’s currently no tablet version on the horizon. This will no doubt disappoint the many Nexus 7 and Samsung Galaxy Tab owners in the world. It comes with a headphone jack and included auxiliary port for listening to a secondary source during playback, useful if you want to practice or record a cover of your favourite track. You’ve also got the ability to use it as a dedicated audio card for your Mac or PC, which is handy if you want a portable recording unit on the move. It’s designed to be used with the AmpliTube UA software, which provides several high quality amp emulations in a stompbox-style interface. You get more than 20 included in the mobile application, with licensed gear from the likes of Fender and Orange. It’s a fantastic package for a cheap price and, more importantly, fills a huge gap in the limitations of the Android OS.

Verdict: If you’re an Android user who’s desperate to record guitar licks, this is the answer to all of your woes.

+ Inexpensive + Low latency works + Aux input

- Can’t charge device while playing - Volume control quite small - More plastic www.whatmobile.net 39

GadGets, Gifts and accessories

Microphones

05 / Apogee MiC Cheapest price: 139.99

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Apogee is a company you would typically associate with very expensive pro studio gear, so it’s surprising to see it venture into the mobile production market. The Apogee MiC is a full USB condenser microphone that features a ¾ inch diaphragm behind a metal grille. It features a cardioid polar pattern with quite a wide angle, meaning it is surprisingly easy to capture two people’s voices at once. This does have the caveat of rejecting less noise but it makes sense as it gives the microphone more use in a group recording environment. The proximity effect is also minimal, which is likely a design choice to make it more multi-functional. It records at a resolution of 24-bit 44.1/48KHz, though a higher 96KHz version is available for about £50 more. Oddly, the cheaper version has a 30-pin iOS cable, while the 96KHz version carries a lightning adapter instead. This somewhat limits which devices they are compatible with unless you’re willing to hunt down an extra cable. Sound-wise, it’s very hard to fault the Apogee. For the price, you’re getting an incredibly capable microphone that is useful for a variety of tasks. Vocal performance is very good while instruments (especially acoustic) shine through very well. There’s not too much warmth and clarity is top notch without sounding overly harsh.

Verdict: The Apogee MiC has a sound that is applicable to a variety of uses, whether instrumental or vocal based.

+ Well built + Natural sounding + Suitable for a variety of recordings

- No headphone jack - Connector bundling is odd - Lets in a little more background noise than others

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06 / IK Multimedia iRig Mic Studio Cheapest price: 123.00

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The iRic Mic Studio is a feature-packed 1-inch condenser microphone with a headphone jack for direct monitoring. It comes with plenty of cables in the box for an all manner of recording purposes, though a 30-pin iPad connecter must be purchased as an optional extra. Build quality is decent, with an all-metal finish that helps to give it some weight. The buttons are a little on the plastic side, with some wobble during use. It features a cardioid polar pattern that is narrower than the Apogee, making it a good choice for solo podcasting duties and instrumentals. Audio recording is done at 24-bit 44.1KHz/48KHz, which is the same as the basic Apogee and enough for most users. Alongside the hardware itself, IK have also released an application specifically tailored to the microphone. ‘Mic Room’ processes the signal to make it sound like a variety of famous recording devices. Pairing this with Audiobus and Cubasis, it is possible to get a very robust recording setup using an iPad as the centrepiece. In terms of sound, the Mic Studio is rich and smooth though definitely a little warmer than the Apogee. This is likely a result of the proximity effect which is much more defined. Those who want that broadcast fullness at the bottom of their voices will appreciate it, though it does mean that novices will need to be more careful about microphone placement.

Verdict: Another brilliant iPad microphone that is a great choice for the solo broadcaster or those who want a little more focus in their sound.

+ Great podcast microphone + Very portable + Headphone jack built-in 40 www.whatmobile.net

- Buttons are a bit wobbly - Buttons are very small - No iPad connector included

gadgets, gifts and accessories

Keyboards and Groove Boxes

07 / IK Multimedia iRig Pads Cheapest price: £91.99

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The iRig Pads is an excellent choice for somebody who wants a low-cost pad controller with a similar feel to MPC-style hardware sequencers. While you won’t get the colour display and hardware editing functions of more expensive devices, you do still get an included application that makes this excellent to use with an iPad. Build quality is acceptable, with an all-plastic body that flexes a little bit but doesn’t feel too bad considering the low asking price. It’s also incredibly small, making it very portable for taking to gigs or throwing in a rucksack. The eight pads are solid rubber with a good amount of travel and they feature full LED-RGB backlighting, meaning they change colour in response to differing pressure and modes. Latency is equally pleasing, with no perceivable lag between pad triggering and note response. Two included cables allow you to use it with both an iPad and/or a desktop computer via Midi, giving the device a fair bit of versatility within the studio. The included SampleTank iOS application is derived from its bigger desktop brother and features more than 600 instruments plus more via in-app purchases. A handful of the included samples are excellent, while the rest are pretty average. You can, of course, use it with the full desktop version of SampleTank as well. The interface is slick and easy to use, with basic recording and loop functionalities that should be enough for the average iOS user.

Verdict: The quality of the application is very good and the unit itself is perfect for the live performer. Considering the price, this is worth a look for the iPad musicians among us.

+ Very portable + Good quality pads + Multi-use

- Flexes under pressure - Included lighting and USB cable only (30-pin is optional)

- Some of the samples feel a bit tacky

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08 / CME Pro XKey Cheapest price: £69.00

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When you’ve got a keyboard that’s endorsed by the legendary Jordan Rudess, you better hope that it’s worth the hype! On initial use, the CME Pro XKey certainly feels like it. This thing is built like a tank, with a solid metal outer shell and design aesthetics that wouldn’t look out of place on an Apple product. Putting it next to our office iMacs, it almost looked like it belonged there. Setup on a desktop is quick and easy with no additional drivers needed, though the lack of an iPad connector means you’ll need to purchase an additional cable for tablet use. Once it’s hooked up to the iPad, it just works, plain and simple. The full-size keys are very responsive given their minimal travel and I was able to capture velocity variations easily. The chiclet styling does take some getting used to, however, and at times it felt like typing on a computer keyboard rather than playing an instrument. The modulation functions are also a little strange, with buttons rather than dedicated wheels. While I can understand it from a space-saving point of view, I think it would’ve been better utilised as a pair of touch-sensitive sliders. That said, this is just about the smallest Midi keyboard you can get and such would be perfect for any mobile producer on the road.

Verdict: Looks perfectly at home next to your iPad device and is built like a tank. If you can get used to its quirks, this a solid Midi keyboard that is made for portable use.

+ Brilliant design + Very light and portable + Full-sized keys

- iPad connector not included - Chiclet keys take a bit of getting used to

- Mod-wheel use is fiddly www.whatmobile.net 41

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CASH CONVERTERS APPLE’S NEW AND SECURE WAY OF PAYING FOR THINGS WITHOUT CASH OR CARDS WILL MAKE CASH AND PLASTIC SEEM A THING OF THE PAST. HERE’S OUR ANALYSIS AND REVIEW OF THE NOVEL NEW SYSTEM SO FAR.

S

o, you’re waiting for your morning coffee fix and here it comes. Steaming frothy cappuccino with a nice chocolate muffin on the side. You reach into your wallet, pull out a piece of paper which looks like a £5 note, hand it to the cashier, who takes it, counts out your change, and gives you a handful of small metal disks which jingle away in your pocket until they fall out and are lost forever down the back of the sofa. Crazy huh? Except now you’ve got a new iPhone. And when your coffee and muffin arrives you do this: touch the “wallet” app on the screen, touch the debit card icon, touch the fingerprint ID icon. hold the phone next to the credit card reader by the cashier and – ping – you’ve paid. That’s it. Done. Finished. Welcome to Apple Pay. Once you’ve tried it you are unlikely to go back to the paper money and coins again. It may seem like magic but it is quite simple. Inside your iPhone 6 (generation onward) is a chip that detects a transmitter (ie the shop’s card reader) to communicate without any kind of internet connection. Unlilke Bluetooth you don’t need to pair the equipment or key in a code If you have been using Oyster cards on London buses and the Tube or buying items with contactless debit or credit card, you will already be familiar with near field communication (NFC). Of course, you can only use Apple Pay at a participating retailer. And you can only use it if your bank supports Apple Pay. For example (at time of writing), Barclays was still not an Apple Pay partner.

Examples of more common uses of near field communication 42 www.whatmobile.net

feature

HOW TO SET UP APPLE PAY

Want to use Apple Pay but not sure how? No problem! Here’s how to set it up.

1

2

3

Ensure that your bank supports Apple Pay. Barclays, Lloyds and Bank of Scotland have not joined yet (at the time of writing), Call your bank or check online.

5

Open Passbook on your iPhone or iPad. Select the option for Apple Pay. Press next

6

Verify your card by text message, via email. Or call your bank on the number provided. Press ‘Next’.

+

4

Place your card face up on a flat surface. Hold the phone over it. Frame the card.

7

You will receive a verification code.

Fill in the fields for your name, expiry date, security code. Press Next.

8

Enter the code given and press ‘Next’.

Congratulations! Start using Apple Pay.

You can add more than one card to your account using the same procedure.

HOW DO I REMOVE A CARD FROM APPLE PAY? ALL DONE. YOUR CARD IS NO LONGER LINKED TO APPLE PAY 1. Open Passbook on

2. Select the card to

your iPhone or iPad

remove

3. Press the little i symbol inside the circle

4. Scroll down to the

5. Press ‘Remove Card’

bottom of the page


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APPLE PAY IN ACTION HOW EASY IT IS TO USE APPLE PAY?

11:00AM

Pret a Manger. Place iPhone 6 on the reader. Screen message aks for Touch ID fingerprint. ‘Done!’ Simple, swift and easy. Full marks for Apple Pay Pret.

11:20AM

Boots. Apply iPhone 6 to card reader. Oops. iPhone requests ‘Hold Near Reader to Pay’. I couldn’t get it much closer. Fortunately, the cashier is familiar with the problem and suggests lifting it off the reader and then set it down again. Result!


feature

11:35AM

The Body Shop. Customer consultant Samirah processes the transaction so quickly we barely have time to snap a pic The process of touching phone to reader, thumb to fingerprint scanner, accept items, is becoming second nature.

11:50AM

Starbucks. Staff warn me that sometimes the machine doesn’t work. Indeed Apple Pay struggles to connect to the card reader. I try lifting it up and putting to down again. No luck. It gives up on fingerprint recognition and asks me for my passcode. Even that doesn’t work. The transaction times out. My contactless debit card works. For some reason Starbucks’ system isn’t in the mood for Apple Pay

CONCLUSION Apple Pay works, although with a few hiccups along the way. Don’t rely on it as your only means of payment, especially given the limited number of retail outlets and companies that accept Apple Pay. It’s great for those moments when you don’t want to fumble for loose change. It also doesn’t seem to have a minimum spend limit. A £1.50 transaction went through with no difficulty. You’ll need to have the top half of your phone over the reader as the NFC transmitter chip in the iPhone 6 is about a third of the way down from the top edge of the phone. The closer it is to the reader, the better.


apps and games

The final frontier This month sees a console classic make its mobile debut plus outings for some franchise favourites Reviewer: Thomas Wellburn – for full reviews, check out WhatMobile.net

Final Fantasy VII £11.99 iOS only This classic Playstation title finally arrives on mobile platforms in a faithful port of the original. Take control of Cloud Strife as he once again embarks on the quest to hunt down legendary Shinra soldier Sephiroth. The virtual buttons are a bit lazy and the ability to turn off random battles is suspect, but the core experience remains one of the best Final Fantasy games ever made.

HHHHH Call of Champions Free (in-app purchases) iOS (Android coming soon) A 3v3 battler with impressive 3D graphics and plenty of classes. Battles are divided into five-minute bursts, with each character using a variety of abilities to defeat the other team. Items are absent and the game is incredibly easy to learn, making the pick-upand-play aspect perfect for mobile gamers.

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Ghostbusters Puzzle Fighter

Hearthstone: Grand Tournament

Free (in-app purchases) iOS only

Free (in-app purchases) Android and iOS

A fun film cash-in that will while away hours on the tube. Featuring the cast of the classic 1984 film, combos deal damage to enemy ghosts which help the ensuing fight. Bigger combos deal more damage and gem symbols determine which character attacks.

Less of a new game and more of an expansion, Hearthstone: Grand Tournament brings 132 new cards plus some exclusive tournament card packs. There’s also another 16 uncollectible cards that can only be obtained during a match.

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apps and games

I am Bread

Lara Croft Go

Pokemon Shuffle

£3.99 iOS (Android coming soon)

£3.99 Android and iOS


From the minds that brought you Surgeon Simulator comes an even crazier variant. I am Bread puts you in control of a slice of... you guessed it, bread as it makes a perilous journey through the house to the toaster. The controls on this version are pretty fiddly, especially if you’re playing on a smaller screen. Still, if you can put up with them, the game is great fun. If a little infuriating.

After the recent debut of the original Tomb Raider title on mobile platforms, Lara Croft is back again in this platforming puzzle title which bears a similar resemblance to Hitman Go. Guide her through the level one move at a time, avoiding hazards along the way. It’s a pity that the game is so short, as it’s great fun while it lasts.

Nintendo’s first mobile game carries the popularity of the Pokemon franchise under its wing. If you’ve played the 3DS version already, you’ll likely know what to expect here. It’s a match three puzzler where your combos will be used to defeat the enemy Pokemon in battle. It’s a novel theme made all the better by colourful graphics and addictive gameplay. A good first outing for Nintendo.

HHHHH Star Wars: Uprising Free (in-app purchases) Android and iOS With the Star Wars hype getting into full swing, there’s plenty of smartphone games now available. Newest on the list is Star Wars: Uprising, a 3D arena shooter which follows a lowly smuggler as he works his way to the top. The rinse and repeat gameplay borders on the repetitive at times but it’s still a fun experience.

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Walking Dead: Road To Survival

Worms 4


The always popular Worms franchise reaches its fourth mobile instalment and includes new weapons and locations in which to do battle. Game mechanics will be familiar to previous Worms players; simply pick either the red or blue team and take turns wiping each other out across a number of bizarre locales.

Based on the comic, this turn-based RPG centres around the infamous Phillip Blake, aka The Governor, before his power-hungry takeover of Woodbury. You’ll control the usual band of survivors while using the town of Woodbury as a refuelling hub.

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£3.99 iOS only


apps and games

Shame of the game The latest iOS and Android apps offer some useful, and not so useful, tools for your phone Reviewer: Manny Pham – for full reviews, check out WhatMobile.net

Shame Bell (Free iOS and Android) Dying for the new series of Game of Thrones? It’s going to be a while so why not pass the time by following, shaming and annoying that friend of yours who’s a bit like Cersei Lannister. You know which one.

HHHHH Enlight

Stoptober 2015

TransferWise

£2.99 (iOS)

Free (iOS and Android)


The iPhone has an amazing camera but lacks a lot of manual controls to make your pictures even better. Which is why you need Enlight on your smartphone, to help you edit those holiday pictures to ensure maximum jealousy from your friends.

It’s never too late to kick the habit and with Stoptober 2015 you can achieve just that. With a daily cigarette counter, money saver meter and many other features to keep you on track, giving up smoking is made just a little bit easier.

Banks. Who likes them? If you actually answered that with a yes, put this down and leave. To those who didn’t, download TransferWise as the app prides itself on saving you up to 89% when transferring money abroad.


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apps and games

VHS Camera Recorder 360 Security Lite

Home Review

£0.99 (Android)

Free (Android)

Free (Windows)

Feeling nostalgic? Despise the age of Instagram and filters? Here’s a massive throwback for you as VHS Camera Recorder allows you to film grainy videos, with the date slapped on it, just like those embarrassing home videos your parents have of you somewhere.

Not everyone can afford a phone that smashes Geekbench scores. This app is stated as ‘exclusively designed for phones with less than 1GB of memory’. Packed with a bloatware cleaner and antivirus software, it is an essential for your wee Android device.

An experimental app that helps you look for local services such as electricians, plumbers and even legal services. Don’t be caught out needing a service that you never thought you would need with this polished new app.

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Khan Academy

Fingerprint Lock Screen

Adidas Snapshot


Free (Android)


Khan Academy has a stellar reputation for bringing free education to those who desire it, by offering free exercises on its website. With this app you can learn something new every day. To live is learn, and to learn is to live. Live. Learn.

DO NOT DOWNLOAD THIS APP. Apart from the fact that the app does not actually scan your fingerprint, as that requires a physical scanner, it also crashes your phone, forcing you to restart it most of the time when in use.

Want to settle who can blast the ball harder? Well now you can with Adidas Snapshot, which records the power and trajectory of your shots. The app is snappy and easy to use so a little competition to see who’s keeper first is no problem.

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mobile gaming

Nintendo 3DS

M2 takes the helm with an exciting revamp of the classic 16-bit shooter Reviewer: Manny Pham – for full reviews, check out WhatMobile.net

3D Gunstar Heroes

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Developer: M2 Publisher: M2 Where to Buy: Nintendo eShop Price: £4.49 Yet another Sega port in the shape of Gunstar Heroes. M2 again takes the helm for this incarnation of the Mega Drive classic and does it well by not changing too much, simply polishing and improving everything that everyone loved about the original. M2 is a specialist in revamping retro games, having done so already for Sega on the 3DS with Ecco the Dolphin, Altered Beast and Streets of Rage 2. M2 has stuck to what it did for the aforementioned titles and remained respectful by keeping that magical 16-bit look. The improved graphics remain stellar, even on full 3D, which works well even when there’s complete chaos on the screen (which is often). There is no slow down whatsoever as you blast your way through armies of robots. This is what makes Gunstar Heroes stand out from other side-scrolling shooters – the chaos and the claustrophobic spaces you’re squeezed into as you avoid showers of bullets. There will always be comparison with Contra. Contra went for that machismo 1980s action movie feel whereas Gunstar Heroes went full-tilt crazy anime, with over-exaggerated anime screams included. This also complements how expressive the playable characters are as they wince in pain as they take damage and the


transition of their look as you spray death all over the screen in all directions. You take control of Gunstar Red or Blue (or both in multiplayer) as you strive to stop the vicious Colonel Red from fulfilling his desire of awakening God-like robot Golden Silver. Gunstar Heroes has a plot that will have you in awe with its twists and turns as you battle through the game. I won’t say any more for those playing it for the first time but this plot will stick to you for a while after playing. Aside from picking up a gun and spraying it everywhere, our heroes can also slide and grapple enemies, getting themselves out of sticky spots. But of course the pew-pew part of the gameplay is what drives the game. You switch weapons as you pick up new ones from fallen enemies. Switching isn’t the only option as you can combine weapons too for some surprising results! This adds replay value as more experimental players would want to play it all over again to try all the combinations and to see which one works better on the stage bosses. There are also new inclusions to the game. Mega Life mode doubles your vitality to make a challenging game a bit easier. Still too hard? Well then switch on to Gunslinger mode, which puts every gun at your disposal right from the start. Gunstar Heroes has reminded us why it is such a classic. M2 has done it again with a Sega port and made an old game feel like a new one. You will pour countless hours into learning enemy move sets and strive for perfection as Gunstar Heroes takes you on an adventure.

mobile gaming

Animal Crossing: HHHHH Happy Home Designer Developer: Nintendo EAD Group 2 Publisher: Nintendo Where to Buy: In-Store Price: £34.99 Welcome back to the world of Animal Crossing where you can once again escape your own harsh reality for a soft, vibrant and colourful world. This time there’s a massive focus on (you guessed it) home designing – one of the most fun aspects of the Animal Crossing games since the series debuted on these shores in 2003 on the GameCube. You take charge of designing homes, amenity buildings and themed buildings as you design creative bespoke housing for the anthropomorphic animal villagers. There are more than 300 villagers to curate, each with their own style and vision, meaning you’ll have to take on jobs and do your best to not curtail them of what they desire. Sounds a bit scary but it really isn’t as there isn’t a grading system, just the villagers expressing their satisfaction. There’s no real in-game reward or progression, which can be quite frustrating, but that is more than made up for with the array of possibilities made available to you in the designing department. Rearranging furniture is so much easier now, with a simple click and drag interface, and those super rare pieces of furniture you struggled to find on Animal Crossing: New Leaf are now more accessible. What really motivates you to carry on and do your best is the online Happy Home Network, which allows you to upload the buildings you designed and have them rated by fellow gamers. Oh, and there’s no aggressive mole on your case this time too.

HHHHH Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows Developer: Yacht Club Games Publisher: Yacht Club Games Where to buy: eShop and In-Store Oct 16 Price: Free (only available with Shovel Knight purchased) Shovel Knight was one of the standout titles of 2014 and we’ve wanted more ever since. Plague of Shadows is exactly what the doctor ordered, with a completely new dimension to the game as you take control of one of the baddies, Plague Knight. Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows takes an alternate route to the events in Shovel Knight. Shovel Knight failed in his attempt to defeat Enchantress and evil now rules the land. You take control of Plague Knight, who decides to no longer be a lackey and journeys through the land to create an ultimate potion that grants the user a single wish. The levels are almost completely similar but revamped to cater to Plague Knight’s capabilities. There are also new hidden areas in stages and completely new paths, which makes this feel like a new game. Attacking with Plague Knight is completely different as he throws timed bombs instead of Shovel Knight’s direct spading approach. You’ll find yourself pausing most of the time to switch between bombs as different bombs make certain stages easier. But this doesn’t detriment the game much as you upgrade Plague Knight and fulfil his one and only desire in this game of romance and plot twists.


mobile gaming

PlayStation Vita Reckon there’s no need for yet another retro-inspired shooter? Well think again Reviewer: Manny Pham – for full reviews, check out WhatMobile.net

Super Time Force Ultra

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Developer: Capybara Games Publisher: Capybara Games Where to Buy: PlayStation Store Price: £13.9 You could be forgiven for thinking that we at What Mobile only play retro or retro-inspired side scrolling shooters (we so do). Well that image is not going to change with this review. Super Time Force Ultra finally makes its way to current-generation Sony consoles, more than a year after being released for the PC and Xbox One. Capybara Games is an indie developer from Canada that is widely renowned in the video games world with a stellar reputation. Known for the acclaimed Critter Crunch in 2009, Capybara Games has done it again and have brought us more retro goodness in the revamped Super Time Force Ultra. Set in the distant future where humans have mastered time travel and have reality as putty in their hands, you play as a squad of elite soldiers called (drum roll please) Super Time Force. The Super Time Force are commanded by Commander Repeatski to stop the peacekeeping forces of the ‘evil’ Doctor Infinity. Commander Repeatski wants to send the force back in time to alter history for the greater good whereas Doctor Infinity is trying to prevent you from distorting history and changing the shape of the future. I don’t know about you but at first I know who I’d side with, with all that Doctor Who has taught me. The plot cannot be delved into without too much being given away.


There are six worlds for you to jump into, each one distinctive and ready for you to complete in any order. The variety of the six stages keep the game feeling so fresh as you jump from saving the dinosaurs from extinction, to jousting knights with bullets in the middle ages. You can already tell that Super Time Force Ultra does not take itself seriously. From the ridiculous levels that you sludge through (literally with the sewer level), to the downright weird things that characters say in the game. You’ll see the game has its own unique charm as the homage to 1980s and 1990s culture runs through out the game. The visuals contribute to this massively with the purposely pixilated graphics, which is done so well with the enemy and level designs. Seeing a robot plume blocks of smoke never looked so satisfying. Being that retro-inspired game, you’d expect those tight, responsive controls that are synonymous with the 8- and 16-bit era. Shooting enemies from a diagonal angle is quite a chore and can literally lead you to death as your character would move as you aim, marching you into a death laser. The time-out feature, thankfully, works well when this happens; you’re given 30 timeouts, in which you rewind time to any point you choose. You can then switch to a different character who is more suited for the situation. If you’ve blasted through many retro shooters already and think that another would just be too much, it wouldn’t be the case with Super Time Force Ultra. It feels like a fresh experience that will keep you entertained for a while.

mobile gaming

The Swindle

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Developer: Size Five Games Publisher: Curve Digital Where to Buy: PS Vita Store Price: £11.99 Size Five Games is a British indie developer that previously developed Ben There, Dan That! A game that could be bought for a ‘donation’, it was widely praised as being better than ‘alright’. Fast forward to the present day and we have a more polished game. The Swindle is a platforming heist with a gorgeous steampunk backdrop as you attempt to commit cybercrime to save all crime. The story is that Scotland Yard have developed an incredible piece of technology called the ‘The Basilisk Project’. In 100 days it will be activated and it will give the police surveillance powers George Orwell would flinch at. So in 100 days you have to level up, gear up and get ready to fight the power. The Swindle is unforgiving in the same vein as Dark Souls. Die and you will lose everything that you gained from the level, and (and here’s the cherry on top) you also lose a day on the counter to the activation of The Basilisk Project. The Swindle is less about skill and more about the upgrades that you possess. With that in mind your greed takes over, you outstay your welcome in a stage when it was best to take what you can and leave! But that tension makes your experience oh so more masochistically delicious. The Swindle is immensely fun, with tight controls and brilliant sounds; what brings it down is the lack of a tutorial. For £11.99 it’s a steal.

Nova-111

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Developer: Funkatronic Labs Publisher: Curve Digital Where to Buy: PlayStation Store Price: £11.99 Funkatronic Labs has given us a nice little head scratcher in the form of Nova-111, a turn-based puzzle game developed by the Californian-based indie developer. You’re tasked with rescuing your fellow scientists, all 111 of them, as an experiment has gone wrong ripping the fabric of time and space. To save the day you have to solve a serious of puzzles. You will also do battle with aliens as they literally charge at you, while you simultaneously figure out how to get through the stage. The game’s mechanic is quite refreshing to those who have hardly played puzzle games. You are forced to watch and learn as each enemy requires patience and a keen eye to vanquish. With your trusty orange ship Nova and Dr Science (first scientist you rescue), you will traverse this ruined world, while upgrading Nova with lasers, bombs and the ability to control time (which is pretty cool). Nova-111 is extremely short, providing four to five hours of gameplay, easily doable in one sitting. That’s without rescuing all 111 scientists, so if you’re a perfectionist you may be able to squeeze out another two hours. By doing so stage grades will be improved and there are online leaderboards for you to rank in if you’re feeling competitive. Despite how short it is, Nova-111 is addictive and will have you wanting to do it all again on new game+. Not enough? Then turn on the cheats and rip through everything that dared to make you think. www.whatmobile.net 53

Buyer’s guide

55

Phone reviews

85

Buying a new device can be a difficult decision. Our comprehensive buyer’s guide is here to help you.

Tablet reviews

94

Wearables reviews

BuyER’S guIDE

Acer Liquid Jade

Acer Z220

Alcatel One Touch Pop S3

Reviewed: April 2015, price: £199 www.acer.co.uk

Reviewed: November 2015, price: £50 www.acer.co.uk

Reviewed: September 2014, price: £80 www.alcatelonetouch.com/uk

A decent handset from a smaller brand, the Liquid Jade has all the components in place to be a much better handset than it actually is. What holds it back is Acer’s lack of polish when compared with bigger brands such as Motorola. The end result is a handset that you could settle for, but probably shouldn’t.

The Acer Z220 performs solidly as a communications device but anything extra-curricular is asking too much. Should you decide to purchase one, there are too many add-ons you have to buy externally, which defeats the purpose of a budget phone. If you’re looking for a basic device that can connect to the internet, make calls and text, this could be for you.

The Alcatel One Touch POP S3 has its merits, especially taking into account the sub-£100 price of the device. The problem here is that by making room for 4G capability Alcatel has been forced to make cutbacks in crucial areas. However, if you are simply after the option to access faster web browsing and app speeds on the go, then the POP S3 offers you that at the cheapest price possible.

OS Android 4.4 KitKat Processor 1.3GHz quad-core Screen 5 inches Resolution 720 x 1280 pixels Memory 1GB RAM Storage 8/16GB MicroSD compatible? No Camera 13MP rear-facing, 2MP front-facing Video 1080p

OS Android lollipop v5.0 Processor 1.2 GHZ Qualcomm MsM8210 Dual-core Screen 4.0-inches Resolution 480 x 800 pixels Memory 1GB RAM (8GB), 2GB RAM (16GB) Storage 8GB MicroSD compatible? yes,

OS Android 4.3 Jelly Bean Processor 1.2GHz quad-core Screen 4 inches Resolution 480 x 800 pixels Memory 1GB RAM Storage 4GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 5MP rear-facing, VGA front-facing Video 1080p

Connectivity 3G Dimensions 140.5 x 69 x 7.5mm Weight 110g Battery 2,100 mAh

up to 32GB Camera 5MP rear-facing, 2MP front-facing Video 720p Connectivity 3G Dimensions 125.3 x 64 x 9.6 mm Weight 120g Battery 1300mAh

Connectivity 4G Dimensions 123 x 64.4 x 9.9mm Weight 130g Battery 2,000 mAh

VERDICT: A decent low-end handset, but

VERDICT: A solid budget phone for calls

VERDICT: Cheap, sure, but its poor quality

there are too many better alternatives.

and texts, but that’s all it’s really good for.

renders its 4G capability near pointless.

PeRfoRMANce feAtuRes usABility DesiGN



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buyer’s guide

Alcatel One Touch Idol Alpha

Alcatel One Touch Idol X+

Amazon Fire Phone

Reviewed: February 2015, price: £319 www.alcatelonetouch.com/uk

Reviewed: June 2014, price: £TBC www.alcatelonetouch.com/uk

Reviewed: December 2014, price: £400

While it’s good to see manufacturers branching out from the traditional black slab design, the Idol Alpha is a reminder of why the slab works. There are just too many compromises here, and the hardware does not make amends for them. Aside from the fact that Android itself is a powerful operating system that you can tailor to your heart’s content, there’s very little to redeem this phone.

We usually greet lesser-known brands with open arms, but never has one disappointed as much as Alcatel with its One Touch Idol X+. Despite decent specs, it’s the handsets flaws that hog the limelight. It’s outperformed by other handsets in its price bracket in just about every respect. It’s hard to envisage anyone patient enough to waste their time with it.

When we first learned of the 3D capabilities of the Amazon Fire Phone we thought it might be a gimmick. Instead, it turned out to be the feature we love the most. Its other interface aspects are riddled with hiccups which can add to some severe usability issues. Its design has some questionable choices, too. It has a lot of potential though, and we’re eagerly looking forward to a sequel.

OS Android 4.2 Jelly Bean Processor 1.2GHz quad-core Screen 4.7 inches Resolution 720 x 1280 pixels Memory 1GB RAM Storage 16GB MicroSD compatible? No Camera 13MP rear-facing, 1.3MP front-facing Video 1080p

OS Android 4.2 Jelly Bean Processor octa-core 2GHz Screen 5 inches Resolution 1080 x 1920 pixels Memory 2GB RAM Storage 16GB or 32GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 13MP rear-facing, 2MP front-facing Video 1080p

OS Android KitKat 4.4 Processor 2.2GHz quad-core Screen 4.7-inches Resolution 1280 x 720 pixels Memory 2GB Storage 32GB MicroSD compatible? yes, up to 64GB Camera 13MP front-facing,

Connectivity 3G Dimensions 138 x 66.6 x 7.5mm Weight 117.4 g Battery 2,000 mAh

Connectivity 3G Dimensions 140.4 x 69.1 x 7.9mm Weight 130g Battery 2,500 mAh

2.1MP rear-facing Video 1080p Connectivity 4G Dimensions 139.2 x 66.5 x 8.9mm Weight 160g Battery 2,400 mAh

VERDICT: A decent camera is the only redeeming feature on this overpriced handset.

VERDICT: With such great competition the

VERDICT: A promising yet flawed debut

One Touch Idol X+ simply looks irrelevant.

effort, reccommendable only to the curious.







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buyer’s guide

eDitoR’s cHoice

eDitoR’s cHoice

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eDitoR’s cHoice

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Apple iPhone 5c

Apple iPhone 5s

Apple iPhone 6

Reviewed: December 2013, price: £469 (16gB) £549 (32gB)

Reviewed: December 2013, price: £549 (16gB) £629 (32gB) £709 (64gB)

Reviewed: November 2014, price: £539 www.apple.com/uk/iphone

If you need a splash of colour in your life and you’re already a massive fan of the iOS operating system, then the iPhone 5c is much the same as the previous iPhone 5. There’s a slightly upgraded front-facing camera and 4G will work on any UK network, but other than that you’re getting the exact same thing. The iPhone 5c is simply around for those of you who love great design without breaking the bank.

With fingerprint identity, a 64-bit A7 chip and delivering up to twice the perfomance of the iPhone 4 and 5c, many people will opt to pay the extra £80 or so over the 5c. They’ll also get an improved camera with 15 per cent larger sensor and improved low-light capabilies. The True Tone flash incorporates two flashes each matched to different light temperatures so flesh tones are more natural with flash pictures.

Calling it ‘the best iPhone ever’ almost seems a little redundant. Of course it’s better – it’s more powerful, has a better camera, and NFC could soon become a huge deal. We’re not quite as keen on the aesthetics of it versus older iPhone designs, but it’s still got a wonderful premium build and a beautifully sharp display. The option for greatly expanded storage sizes shouldn’t be undervalued, either.

OS ios 7 Processor Dual-core 1.3GHz Screen 4 inches Resolution 640 x 1136 pixels Memory 1GB RAM Storage 16/32GB MicroSD compatible? No Camera 8MP rear-facing, 1.2MP front-facing

OS ios 7 Processor Dual-core 1.3GHz ARM V8 Screen 4 inches Resolution 1136 x 640 pixels Memory 1GB RAM Storage 16/32/64GB MicroSD compatible? No Camera 8MP rear-facing,

OS ios8 Processor Apple A8 1.4GHz Screen 4.7 inches Resolution 1334 x 750 pixels Memory 1GB RAM Storage 16/64/128GB MicroSD compatible? No Camera 8MP isight rearfacing, 1.2MP front-facing

Video 1080 Connectivity 4G Size 12.4 x 59.2 x 9mm Weight 132g Battery 1,510 mAh

1.2MP front-facing Video 1080p Connectivity 4G Dimensions 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6mm Weight 112g Battery 1,560 mAh

Video 1080p Connectivity 4G Dimensions 138.1 x 67 x 6.9mm Weight 129g Battery 1,810 mAh

VERDICT: It’s the most colourful iPhone to

VERDICT: The gold standard in user-friendly

VERDICT: Bigger and better than ever, just

date, but it’s identical to the iPhone 5.

smartphones, with a ton of power to boot.

as you’d expect. The definitive iPhone.








buyer’s guide

eDitoR’s cHoice

HHHHH

Apple iPhone 6 Plus

Apple iPhone 6s

Archos 50 Helium



Reviewed: July 2014, price: £199 archos.com

It’s the iPhone 6, but bigger. That’s the only difference, and it comes with all of the ups and downs that you would expect from a phablet. You’ll either love or hate the larger screen which, while still beautiful, is slightly less sharp than its little brother’s. Similarly it might be tough for smaller hands to hold. But then you do get to see more things on screen at once. It’s still a remarkable phone though, make no mistake.

The iPhone 6s may not offer that much to warrant an immediate upgrade but it still has enough new features to welcome new adopters to the platform. Force Touch genuinely works well and has plenty of future potential, while the hardware and low-ligh camera improvements make this more than just a simple cash cow.

If the Moto G and Moto E are the gold standard of entry-level and low-cost smartphones, then the 50 Helium is certainly worthy of silver. It’s got a nice big screen as well as invaluable 4G capability. It won’t set the world alight, but it’s a standout in a market awash with cheap, limited handsets.

OS ios8 Processor Apple A8 1.4GHz Screen 5.5 inches Resolution 1920 x 1080 pixels Memory 1GB RAM Storage 16GB/64GB/128GB MicroSD compatible? No Camera 8MP isight rearfacing, 1.2MP front-facing Video 1080p

OS ios 9 Processor 1.84 GHZ Dual core Apple A9 Screen 4.7-inches Resolution 1334 x 750 pixels Memory 2GB RAM Storage 16/64/128GB MicroSD compatible? No Camera 12MP rear-facing, 5MP front-facing

OS Android 4.3 Jelly Bean Processor 1.2GHz quad-core Screen 5 inches Resolution 1280 x 720 pixels Memory 1GB RAM Storage 8GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 8MP Video 1080p Connectivity 4G lte


VERDICT: A bigger iPhone 6 – it’s really that

Video 4K at 30fPs Connectivity 4G Dimensions 138 x 67 x 7.1 mm Weight 143g Battery 1,712 mAh

Dimensions 145 x 71.5 x 8.95mm Weight 160g Battery 2,000 mAh

simple. Prefer it or not, it’s great regardless.

VERDICT: Plenty of new features make this another sure-fire hit for Apple.

VERDICT: A capable alternative to the market-leading Moto G.








buyer’s guide

BlackBerry Classic

BlackBerry Passport

BlackBerry Z30

Reviewed: April 2015, price: £330 uk.blackberry.com

Reviewed: November 2014, price: £530 uk.blackberry.com

Reviewed: June 2014, price: £500 uk.blackberry.com

BlackBerry diehards will love the modern touchscreen and keyboard – and even some actual apps, just like a proper smartphone. There are certainly worse handsets you could be issued at work. But there’s nothing here to tempt an iPhone, Android or Windows user. For almost everyone other than BlackBerry fans, this phone is just a reminder of how far we’ve moved on in recent years.

A premium device by anyone’s standards – if you can look past the thoroughly odd design. Undeniably BlackBerry’s most advanced device ever, it’s still clearly angled towards the business crowd with a focus on productivity. The same old BlackBerry problems persist though, with an inferior OS and app store. It’s just too impractical and limited for personal use.

Perhaps if BlackBerry had focused on its efforts on making a phone like this five years ago we would be looking at a very different picture now. As it stands, a barren app store, odd features and a monster price tag may kill what could have been a competitive device. It’s still surprisingly easy on the eye though, and its display doesn’t look too bad either.

OS BlackBerry os 10.3.1 Processor Dual-core 1.5GHz Krait Screen 3.5 inches Resolution 720 x 720 pixels Memory 2GB RAM Storage 16GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 8MP rear-facing, 2MP front-facing

OS BlackBerry 10.3 Processor 2.2GHz quad-core Screen 4.5 inches Resolution 1440 x 1440 pixels Memory 3GB RAM Storage 32GB MicroSD compatible? yes, up to 128GB Camera 13MP rear-facing,

OS BlackBerry 10 Processor 1.7GHz dual-core Screen 5 inches Resolution 1280 x 720 pixels Memory 2GB RAM Storage 16GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 8MP rear-racing, 2MP front-facing Video 1080p

Video 1080p @ 30fps Connectivity 4G Dimensions 131 x 72.4 x 10.2mm Weight 177g Battery 2,515 mAh

2MP front-facing Video 1080p Connectivity 4G Dimensions 128 x 90.3 x 9.3mm Weight 194g Battery 3,450 mAh

Connectivity 4G Dimensions 140.7 x 72 x 9.4 Weight 170g Battery 2,880 mAh

VERDICT: Difficult to recommend to all but

VERDICT: Premium build and top specs are

VERDICT: Possibly the best BlackBerry yet,

the most ardent of BlackBerry fans.

betrayed by off-putting, strange design.

but that’s not saying an awful lot.





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buyer’s guide

BWC Stealth V2

CAT B100

Doro 820 Mini

Reviewed: August 2014, price: £300 www.bwcdevices.com

Reviewed: March 2014, price: £380 www.catphones.com

Reviewed: May 2015, price: £169 www.doro.co.uk

With good specs available at low prices there’s never been a better time to pick up a rugged smartphone (if that’s what you need). The Stealth V2 lives up to both the ‘rugged’ and ‘smart’ tags, with surprisingly capable insides. It also passed all of our stress tests, with countless drops, bashes and drownings failing to leave so much as a mark.

The CAT B100 withstands harsh conditions and jarring blows with a tough outer shell that absorbs the impact of falls, and impressive waterproofing. Beyond that, the phone lacks features games and apps – but chances are that’s not why you’re buying this phone. If you need a rugged handset to take adventuring, though, it’s more than tough enough.

The Doro 820 Mini’s software is simple to use; first-time smartphone users and the elderly won’t get confused by any cumbersome on-screen options. Unfortunately, this usability has been hampered by hardware problems. A slow processor creates annoying delays when navigating through the phone, while a poor build quality ruins what could have otherwise been a decent budget phone.

OS Android 4.2 Jelly Bean Processor 1.2GHz quad-core Screen 4 inches Resolution 854 x 480 pixels Memory 1GB RAM Storage 1GB MicrosD compatible? yes Camera 8MP rear-facing, 1.3MP front-facing Video 720p

OS Nucleus 2.1 Processor 1GHz dual-core Screen 2.2 inches Resolution 240 x 320 pixels Memory 512MB RAM Storage 50MB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 3MP rear-facing, QVGA front-facing Video QVGA

OS Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Processor 1GHz dual-core Screen 4 inches Resolution 480 x 800 pixels Memory 512MB RAM Storage 4GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 5MP rear-facing, QVGA front-facing Video 720p

Connectivity 3G Dimensions 133 x 69 x 20mm Weight 230g Battery 2,800 mAh

VERDICT: As smart and tough as it promises.




Connectivity 3G Size 125 x 69.5 x 14.95mm Weight 170g Battery 2,000 mAh

VERDICT: Tough enough to take into a

VERDICT: A rugged phone for those who

warzone, if a little light on actual function.

need to rely on it in any environment.






buyer’s guide

Doro Liberto 820

Doro PhoneEasy 624

EE Kestrel

Reviewed: February 2015, price: £186 www.doro.co.uk

Reviewed: February 2015, price: £100 www.doro.co.uk

Reviewed: September 2014, price: £99 www.doro.co.uk

It’s easy to dismiss Doro phones as obsolete. This is to ignore that Doro isn’t interested in attracting phone geeks and techno-fashionistas. These phones are for those value simplicity above processing power. Doro targets the ‘senior’ market But with its SOS button and useful short cuts the Liberto 820 will appeal to those are not slaves to trends in consumer electronics.

The PhoneEasy 624 is Doro’s best feature phone offering for those who want to keep things as simple, while making sure important contacts are only a button push away. It’s got a 3G antenna, lengthy battery life, but a needlessly dire camera.

The EE Kestrel is the best entry-level 4G handset on the market and this is in no small part due to Huawei. The manufacturer has built a solid handset that consumers will use beyond its 4G-LTE capability. Although, its weak resolution is a major flaw, it has plenty of other positive attributes including a smooth UI, the ability to handle a vast range of games and decent web and app browsing speeds.

OS Android 4.4 Kit Kat with Doro Wizard Processor 1.3Ghz quad-core Screen 5.5 inches Resolution 940 x 560 Memory 1GB Storage 4GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 8MP Video 720p

OS custom Processor N/A Screen 2.4 inches Resolution 320 x 240 pixels Memory N/A Storage N/A MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 2MP Video 720p Connectivity 3G

OS Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean) Processor 1.2GHz quad-core Screen 4.5 inches Resolution 540 x 960 pixels Memory 1GB RAM Storage 8GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 5MP rear-facing, 1MP front-facing Video 1080p

Connectivity 3G Dimensions 13mm x 71mm Weight 132g Battery 1,900 mAh

VERDICT: A surprisingly well-featured

Dimensions 102 x 52 x 19mm Weight 104g Battery 800 mAh

Connectivity 4G, 3G Dimensions 131 x 65.3 x 7.85mm Weight 145g Battery 2,000 mAh

VERDICT: A well featured phone for the price if you’re in the market for that sort of thing.

VERDICT: A reliable handset that boasts

phone for the more tech-savvy of seniors.






good usability, if underwhelming specs.



buyer’s guide

google Nexus 6

Honor 7

HTC Desire 626

Reviewed: March 2015, price: £499 www.google.com/nexus/6/

Reviewed: November 2015, price: £250 www.hihonor.com/en/pages/products/honor7

Reviewed: October 2015, price: £150 www.htc.com/uk

The Nexus 6 is a reminder of exactly what so many manufacturers are doing wrong by overly modifying Android. Google’s flagship is a tremendous powerhouse – more of a media hub than a mere smartphone, and one of the best phablets on the market. Whether you’d rather it had a stylus is a matter of preference, though.

The Honor 7 is a solid handset that has the looks and appeal to captivate many buyers. It’s got a great screen and impressive camera that has a few unique features up its sleeve. Unfortunately, it also suffers from mixed performance that seems to be a result of the Kirin chipset. If you’re a keen mobile gamer, this could be an issue.

The HTC Desire 626 is a solid handset that performs fine in most areas. Should you decide to purchase one, it will likely serve you very well under most conditions. The only problem arises from the £150 retail price, which puts it squarely in the firing line of budget superstars such as the Vodafone Smart Ultra 6. Had HTC priced it slightly cheaper, it may well have been worth more serious consideration.

OS Android 5.0 lollipop Processor 2.7 GHz quad-core Screen 5.96 inches Resolution 2560 x 1440 pixels Memory 3GB RAM Storage 32/64GB MicroSD compatible? No Camera 13MP rear-facing, 2MP front-facing Video 4K

OS Android lollipop v5.0 Processor Kirin 935 (8 cores: 2.2 GHz quad core + 1.5 GHz quad-core) Screen 5.2-inches Resolution 1920 x 1080 pixels Memory 3GB Storage 16GB/ 64GB MicroSD compatible? yes, up to 128GB

OS Android 5.1 Processor 1.2 GHz quad-core snapdragon 410 Screen 5.0-inches Resolution 1280 x 720 pixels Memory 2GB RAM Storage 16GB MicroSD compatible? yes, up to 512GB Camera 13MP rear-facing,

Connectivity 4G Dimensions 82.98mm x 159.26mm x 10.06mm Weight 184g Battery 3,220 mAh

Camera 20MP rear-facing, 8MP front-facing Video 1080p Connectivity 4G Dimensions 143 x 72 x 8.5 mm Weight 157g Battery 3,100mAh

5MP front-facing Video 1,080p Connectivity 4G Dimensions 147 x 71 x 8.2 mm Weight 135g Battery 2,000 mAh

VERDICT: Fast, fresh and tremendously

VERDICT: Great looks and impressive

VERDICT: There are better deals out there.

powerful. A dream for Android purists.

camera but performance could be an issue.

Still, this is a perfectly capable phone.








buyer’s guide

HTC Desire 816

HTC Desire 820

HTC Desire Eye

Reviewed: October 2014, price: £300 www.htc.com/uk

Reviewed: June 2015, price: £299 www.htc.com/uk

Reviewed: March 2015, price: £365 www.htc.com/uk

In a market lacking a viable midrange phablet the HTC Desire 816 stands out. It might have its flaws, but for the price you can certainly look past them. If you can’t, then a midrange device probably isn’t for you. For the rest of us, there’s no better option for getting your hands on a jumbo screen on the cheap.

A large display, fantastic cameras and attractive design makes the HTC Desire 820 an ideal choice if you’re after an affordable phone with plenty of features. It’s only been let down by the fact that it doesn’t pack an HD screen and that it doesn’t run the latest Android software. It’s also quite pricey compared to the OnePlus One; a phone that is a serious rival.

While we love the cameras (having a front-facer as highly powered as the rear-facer is a huge boon, particularly for selfie-lovers) the Desire Eye’s build quality and price make it a tougher sell than you might think. It does look nice though, and is an interesting concept. Just not a 100% successful one.

OS Android 4.4 KitKat Processor 1.6GHz quad-core Screen 5.5 inches Resolution 1280 x 720 pixels Memory 1.5GB RAM Storage 8GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 13MP rear-facing, 5MP front-facing Video 1080p

OS Android 4.4.2 KitKat Processor Quad-core 1.5 GHz cortex-A53 Screen 5.5-inches Resolution 720 x 1280 pixels Memory 2GB RAM Storage 16GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 13MP rear-facing, 8MP front-facing

OS Android 4.4 KitKat Processor 2.3 GHz quad-core Screen 5.2 inches Resolution 1080 x 1920 pixels Memory 2GB RAM Storage 16GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 13MP rear-facing, 13MP front-facing Video 1080p


Video 1080p at 30fps Connectivity 4G Dimensions 157.7 x 78.7 x 7.7mm Weight 155g Battery 2600 mAh

VERDICT: A triumphant, large addition to a

VERDICT: Cheap, attractive and packed full

fantastic 2014 product line for HTC.

of features.






VERDICT: A hard sell when the superior One M8 can now be bought for the same price.




buyer’s guide

eDitoR’s cHoice

eDitoR’s cHoice

HHHHH

HHHHH

HTC One M8

HTC One M9

HTC One Max

Reviewed: May 2014, price: £530 www.htc.com/uk

Reviewed: May 2015, price: £580 www.htc.com/uk

Reviewed: January 2014, price: £599 www.htc.com/uk

The HTC One M8 is, in all probability, the best smartphone ever made. It both looks and performs better than almost everything else out there. Features like Blinkfeed and knock-to-wake are a joy to use. If Apple, Sony and Samsung weren’t paying attention before, they certainly are now.

The One M9 is HTC’s first major release of 2015 and its top-notch build quality, powerful processor and phenomenal battery life makes it one of our favourite phones of this year. However, it doesn’t really provide anything different to what flagship rivals like the iPhone 6 already offers. Despite that, the HTC One M9 is still one of the best looking and most powerful phones on the market.

The HTC One Max piggybacks the reputation of the HTC One, although nothing much has improved. The highquality display is present but HTC has failed to add processing power and the fingerprint sensor implementation is very disappointing.

OS Android 4.4 KitKat Processor 2.3GHz quad-core Screen 5 inches Resolution 1920 x 1080 pixels Memory 2GB RAM Storage 16GB or 32GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 4MP ultraPixel rearfacing, 5MP front-facing Video 1080p

OS Android 5.0 lollipop Processor 4 x 2GHz + 4 x 1.5GHz octa-core Screen 5 inches Resolution 1920 x 1080 pixels Memory 3GB RAM Storage 32GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 20.7MP rear-facing, 4MP ultraPixel front-facing

OS Android 4.3 Jelly Bean Processor 1.7GHz quad-core Screen 5.9 inches Resolution 1920 x 1080 pixels Memory 2GB Storage 16GB or 32GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 4MP ulatraPixel rear-facing, 2.1MP frontfacing


Video 4k Connectivity 4G Dimensions 144.6 x 69.7 x 9.61mm Weight 157g Battery 2,840 mAh

Video 1080p Connectivity 4G Dimensions 164.5 x 82.5 x 10.3mm Weight 217g Battery 3,300 mAh

VERDICT: If you can afford it, buy it. There’s

VERDICT: It has no unique selling point but

VERDICT: The HTC One’s design is still a

no better Android handset on the market.

it’s still one of the best devices out there.

standout but there’s nothing new here.








buyer’s guide

HTC One Mini 2

Huawei Ascend g7

Huawei Ascend P7

Reviewed: August 2014, price: £360 www.htc.com/uk

Reviewed: May 2015, price: £205 www.huaweidevice.co.uk

Reviewed: July 2014, price: £365 www.huaweidevice.co.uk

Your opinion of the One Mini 2 will come down to what you mostly use your phone for. If you don’t put too much strain on its struggling processor then you should be fine. It’s got a magnificent pair of cameras, and that trademark HTC metal unibody build can’t be beat. Day-to-day users will be more than satisfied – hardcore techheads should stick with the One M8.

With a large screen and the gorgeous looks that remind us of the iPhone 6; the Huawei Ascend G7 might look good on the outside but the software is another story. Huawei has redesigned Google’s vanilla Android operating system and reskinned it as something that looks both cheap and ugly. Despite that, the Ascend G7 is a decent choice if you want an iPhone 6-lookalike that runs Android software.

The Ascend P7 feels like a missed opportunity. Huawei should have put its full weight into creating a toplevel flagship handset. However, its underpowered processor is its only real flaw. It looks premium and its front-facing camera is the best on the market. Its price could be a sticking point, but it’s by no means a bad device.

OS Android 4.4 KitKat Processor 1.2GHz quad-core Screen 4.5 inches Resolution 720 x 1,280 pixels Memory 1GB RAM Storage 16GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 13MP rear-facing, 5MP front-facing Video 1080p

OS Android 4.4.2 KitKat Processor 1.2 GHz quadcore Screen 5.5 inches Resolution 720 x 1280 pixels Memory 2GB RAM Storage 16GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 13MP rear-facing, 5MP front-facing

OS Android 4.4 KitKat Processor 1.8GHz quad-core Screen 5 inches Resolution 1920 x 1080 pixels Memory 2GB RAM Storage 16GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 13MP rear-facing, 8MP front-facing Video 1080p

Connectivity 4G Dimensions 137.4 x 64 x 10.6mm Weight 137g Battery 2,110 mAh

VERDICT: Powered to match its stature, but


Connectivity 4G lte Dimensions 139.8 x 68.8 x 6.5mm Weight 124g Battery 2,500 mAh

still a very polished, attractive device.

a cheap and ugly looking operating system.

VERDICT: It’s not quite a market-leading flagship but at least it looks the part.





HHHHH

VERDICT: Its great performance is ruined by



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buyer’s guide

Huawei P8

Huawei Honor 4x

Huawei Honor 6+

Reviewed: August 2015, price: £395 www.huaweidevice.co.uk

Reviewed: August 2015, price: £144.99 www.huaweidevice.co.uk

Reviewed: July 2015, price: £299.99 www.huaweidevice.co.uk

An attractive device that gives you top-ofthe-range specs and a fantastic camera for half the price of the Samsung Galaxy S6 or iPhone. The performance isn’t as slick as its major rivals, but that isn’t a deal breaker. Especially when the phone costs half the price of the iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy S6.

An affordable phone that offers solid battery life and plenty of features. The build quality even feels better than the LG G4, a smartphone that costs double its recommended retail price. Honor isn’t a big name over in the West, but phones like the 4X are helping it head in that direction. It’s just a shame that the processor is a little on the weak side.

If you’re after an affordable device with plenty of top-notch features, you can’t really go wrong with the Huawei Honor 6+. The camera is unique, the performance is fantastic and battery life is better than more expensive phones. Its slow camera and inability to handle certain apps are only minor negatives – the Honor 6+ is well worth the money.

OS Android 5.0 lollipop Processor 2 GHz quad-core Screen 5.2 inches Resolution 1920 x 1080 pixels Memory 3GB RAM Storage 16/64GB Camera 13MP rear-facing, 8MP front-facing Video 1080p Connectivity 4G

OS Android 4.4 KitKat Processor Hisilicon Kirin 620 Screen 4 inches Resolution 1280 x 720 pixels Memory 2GB RAM Storage 8GB Camera 13MP rear-facing, 5MP front-facing Video 1080p Connectivity 4G

OS Android KitKat 4.4.2 Processor Kirin octo-core 925 Screen 5.5 inches Resolution 1920 x 1080 pixels Memory 3GB RAM Storage 32GB Camera Dual 8MP rearfacing, 8MP front-facing Video 1080p Connectivity 4G

Dimensions 144 x 72 x 6.4mm Weight 144g Battery 2,680 mAh


Dimensions 151x 76 x 7.5mm Weight 165g Battery 3,600 mAh

VERDICT: Flagship specs for half the price

VERDICT: A solid phone at a bargain price,

VERDICT: A flagship phone with excellent

of a Galaxy S6 or iPhone.

you’ll be surprised at how good it looks.

battery life that doesn’t break the bank.






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buyer’s guide

Kazam Tornado 348

Kazam Thunder Q4.5

Lg g3

Reviewed: March 2015, price: £247 www.kazam.mobi

Reviewed: April 2014, price: £TBC www.kazam.mobi

Reviewed: August 2014, price: £499 www.lg.com/uk

Despite great looks and smooth performance, lack of 4G connectivity and storage makes the Tornado 348 something of a non-starter for serious users. The casual market will be plenty content with what’s on offer here – particularly those eye-catching physical dimensions.

The Thunder Q4.5 is a sure case of style over substance, but in the lower-cost end of the market you’d usually be lucky to get either. While the phone lacks standout features it won’t let you down when it comes to everyday smartphone functionality. If you’re in the market and want to try something new, you could certainly do an awful lot worse.

Only minor detractions stop the LG G3 from being the perfect smartphone. That said, there’s no such thing as the perfect smartphone just yet, so the G3 is still a wonderful piece of kit. It has outstanding features, hardware, and form to boot. The best display around, a monstrous processor and a variety of little touches all make the G3 is a special smartphone.

OS Android KitKat 4.4 Processor 1.7Ghz octa-core Screen 4.8 inches Resolution 1280 x 720 pixels Memory 1GB RAM Storage 16GB MicroSD compatible? No Camera 8MP rear-facing, 5MP front-facing Video 720p

OS Android 4.2 Jelly Bean Processor 1.3GHz quad-core Screen 4.5 inches Resolution 854 x 480 pixels Memory 1GB RAM Storage 1.74GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 8MP rear-facing, 2MP front-facing Video 720p

OS Android 4.4 (KitKat) Processor 2.5GHz quad-core Screen 5.5 inches Resolution 1440 x 2560 pixels Memory 2GB RAM Storage 16GB or 32GB MicrosD compatible? yes Camera 13MP rear-facing, 2.1MP front-facing Video 2160p

Connectivity 3G Dimensions 139.8 x 67.5 x 5.15mm Weight 95.5g Battery 2,050 mAh



VERDICT: Standout design and performance at an attractive price.

VERDICT: It may be flawed, but at this price

VERDICT: Want the best? The G3 is

point you’d be hard pushed to beat it.

absolutely deserving of your consideration.








buyer’s guide

Lg g4

Lg g4c

Lg g Flex

Reviewed: July 2015, price: £500 www.lg.com/uk

Reviewed: October 2015, price: £229 www.lg.com/uk

Reviewed: April 2014, price: £570 www.lg.com/uk

The unique leather design and incredible camera certainly helps the LG G4 stand out against rivals like the iPhone 6. However, the fact it doesn’t have the strongest processor on the market, alongside an average battery and awkward button placement, means it doesn’t really stand up as a true iPhone and Galaxy smasher.

The LG G4c is solidly average, with a few fun gimmicks that don’t quite make up for the photo quality. For those who simply want a day-to-day workhorse, it is not a bad option, but it’s not for those who are looking for something heavy-duty.

The curved display may add very little, but with a state-of-the-art spec sheet and a fantastic display, the LG G Flex nails the basics of a high-end smartphone. However the £570 price and so-so camera make it difficult to recommend – at least when compared to its cheaper, better rivals. The Flex just isn’t the innovation LG believes it to be.

OS Android 5.1 lollipop Processor 1.4GHz quad core Screen 5.5 inches Resolution 2560 x 1440 pixels Memory 3GB RAM Storage 32GB Camera 16MP rear-facing, 8MP front-facing Video 1080p Connectivity 4G

OS Android Processor Quad-core 1.3 GHz Qualcomm snapdragon Screen 5.0 inches Resolution 720 x 1280-pixels Memory 1GB RAM Storage 8GB MicroSD compatible? yes, up to 128GB Camera 8MP rear-facing,

OS Android 4.2 Jelly Bean Processor 2.2GHz quad-core Screen 6 inches Resolution 1280 x 720 pixels Memory 2GB RAM Storage 32GB MicroSD compatible? No Camera 13MP rear-facing, 2.1MP front-facing Video 1080p


5MP front-facing Video 1,080p Connectivity 4G Dimensions 139.7 x 69.9 x 10.2 mm Weight 139g Battery 2,540 mAh


VERDICT: Solidly average for everyday use,

VERDICT: A powerful phone held back by a

weak processor. Not a Galaxy S6 killer.

but not for heavy-duty users.

steep price for an unnecessary gimmick.




VERDICT: A monster device let down by a



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buyer’s guide

Lg Spirit 4g

Motorola Moto E (2015)

Motorola Moto g (1st gen)

Reviewed: August 2015, price: £129.99 www.lg.com/uk

Reviewed: May 2015, price: £109 www.motorola.co.uk

Reviewed: January 2014, price: £135 www.motorola.co.uk

At only £129.99, there’s little to criticise in this budget mid-range device that looks a lot like a shrunken down LG G4. It has enough performance for most users and comes with Android 5.0 right out of the box. The only problem is the weak front and rear cameras, which distract from an otherwise competent package.

Paying £109 for a full-blown, powerful 4G smartphone is seriously good value for money. This value is only increased by a high-quality camera, powerful processor and excellent battery life. The only major faults we found when testing the phone included no LED camera flash, a plastic body that easily picks up marks and a fiddly SIM-card slot.

The Moto G is a budget smartphone done right. It makes smart and sensible sacrifices to slash its price to a point that puts its rivals to shame. For people who don’t demand the highest specs and best camera from a phone, the Moto G’s easyto-use system and fast speeds make it an ideal choice.

OS Android 5.1 lollipop Processor 1.3 Ghz quad-core Screen 4.7 inches Resolution 1280 x 720 Memory 1GB RAM Storage 8GB Camera 8MP rear-facing, 1MP front-facing Video 1080p Connectivity 4G

OS Android 5.0.2 lollipop Processor Qualcomm snapdragon 410, 1.2 GHz quad-core Screen 4.5 inches Resolution 540 X 960 pixels Memory 1GB RAM Storage 8GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 5MP rear-facing,

OS Android 4.3 Jelly Bean Processor 1.2GHz quad-core Screen 4.5 inches Resolution 720 x 1280 pixels Memory 1GB RAM Storage 8GB/16GB MicroSD compatible? No Camera 5MP rear-facing, 1.3MP front-facing Video 720p

Dimensions 133 x 66x 10mm Weight 124g Battery 2,100 mAh

640 x 480 front-facing Connectivity 4G Dimensions 129.9 x 66.8mm, 146g Weight 145g Battery 2,390 mAh


VERDICT: A competent mid-range device

VERDICT: After a smartphone that’s

VERDICT: The best option for customers on

with Android Lollipop and good specs.

seriously good value? This is for you.

a budget.








buyer’s guide

Motorola Moto g (2nd gen) Motorola Moto g 4g Reviewed: November 2014, price: £150 (2nd gen) www.motorola.co.uk

It’s an updated version of the Moto G – nothing more, nothing less. The lack of 4G is extremely disappointing, and a processor upgrade would have been nice. Still, a bigger screen, a better camera and MicroSD compatibility is extremely welcome. When it comes to affordable phones that can actually perform, the Moto G is still untouchable.

OS Android 4.4 KitKat Processor 1.2GHz quad-core Screen 5 inches Resolution 1280 x 720 pixels Memory 1GB RAM Storage 8GB/16GB MicroSD compatible? yes, up to 32GB Camera 8MP rear-facing, 2MP front-facing

Video 720p Connectivity 3G Dimensions 141.5 x 70.7 x 11mm Weight 149g Battery 2,070 mAh

Motorola Moto g (3rd gen)

Reviewed: June 2015, price: £150 www.motorola.co.uk

Reviewed: November 2015, price: £159 www.motorola.co.uk

One of the best value smartphones on the market, the large display, 4G connectivity and latest Android operating software makes it well worth the price. Combine all of this with the phone’s fantastic build quality and the Motorola Moto G 4G is well worth keeping after your contract expires.

Motorola has done it again with another device that punches above its weight and mostly improves on its predecessor. Every area is catered for here, offering impressive battery life, a brilliant camera and adequate performance. If you’re looking for a solid Android device that won’t break the bank, the Moto G is worth consideration.

OS Android 5.0 lollipop Processor Quad-core 1.2 GHz cortex-A53 Screen 5.0-inches Resolution 720 x 1280 pixels Memory 1GB RAM Storage 8/16GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 8MP rear-facing 2MP front-facing

OS Android lollipop v5.1.1 Processor 1.4 GHZ snapdragon 410 Screen 5.0-inches Resolution 1280 x 720 pixels Memory 1GB RAM (8GB), 2GB RAM (16GB) Storage 8/16GB MicroSD compatible?

Video 720p at 30fps Connectivity 4G Dimensions 141.5 x 70.7 x 11mm Weight 155g Battery 2390 mAh

yes, up to 128GB Camera 13MP rear-facing 5MP front-facing Video 1080p Connectivity 4G Dimensions 142 x 72 x 11.6 mm Weight 155g Battery 2,470mAh

VERDICT: A solid improvement on the best,

VERDICT: Priced between £200-£400, this

VERDICT: Solid device that offers perfectly

but no 4G gives it a limited shelf life.

smartphone undermines the competition.

fine performance across the board.








buyer’s guide

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Motorola Moto X (2nd gen) Motorola Moto X (2014) (1st gen)

Nokia Asha 503

Reviewed: March 2014, price: £380 www.motorola.co.uk

Reviewed: January 2015, price: £420 www.motorola.co.uk

Reviewed: February 2014, price: £70 www.microsoft.com/en-gb/mobile/

A rock-solid handset with helpful features. This is the best place to experience Google Now, making voice operation genuinely useful. Mix in a sleek design, great camera and long battery life and the £380 price tag is justified. If you can afford the extra £150 then it makes for a sterling upper-mid tier upgrade to the Motorola Moto G.

Motorola’s original Moto X was a nice idea executed a little too late. Competition from superior phones from manufacturers with a stronger recent track record was too great to overcome. But this latest version makes a much stronger case for your cash. It’s got some excellent features and will surely be beloved by fans of stock Android.

Nokia’s Asha 503 is a brilliantly tiny handset that stays usable despite the smaller screen. If you want a dirt-cheap phone then you might be better off with a sub-£50 handset and its design is a little spiky. But anyone looking for a phone to keep them busy for five minutes on a bus will find plenty to love here.

OS Android 4.4 KitKat Processor 1.7GHz dual-core Screen 4.7 inches Resolution 720 x 1280 pixels Memory 2GB RAM Storage 16/32GB MicroSD compatible? No Camera 10MP rear-facing, 2MP front-facing Video 1080p

OS Android 4.4 KitKat Processor 2.5GHz quad-core Screen 5.2 inches Resolution 1,080 x 1,920 pixels Memory 2GB RAM Storage 16/32GB MicroSD compatible? No Camera 13MP rear-facing, 2MP front-facing Video 2160p

OS Nokia Asha platform 1.2 Processor N/A Screen 3 inches Resolution 240 x 320 pixels Memory 128MB RAM Storage 4GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 5MP rear-facing Video QVGA Connectivity 3G


Connectivity 4G Dimensions 140.8 x 72.4 x 10mm Weight 144g Battery 2,300 mAh

Dimensions 102.6 x 60.6 x 12.7mm Weight 110.2g Battery 1,200 mAh

VERDICT: For those looking to step up from

VERDICT: The best Motorola ever, and

VERDICT: A good entry into the budget

the budget tier: your search is over.

arguably the best Android handset of 2014.

market that offers more than the basics.








buyer’s guide

Nokia Lumia 435

Nokia Lumia 640

Nokia Lumia 640 XL

Reviewed: September 2015, price: £40 www.microsoft.com/en-gb/mobile/

Reviewed: August 2015, price: £109.99 www.microsoft.com/en-gb/mobile/


It won’t shake the world but for 40 quid you can hardly expect it to. This is a very cheap phone that has all the features you would expect from more expensive handsets.While it doesn’t excel in any particular area and the camera is pretty terrible, you’ll be lucky if you find anything that performs this well for the price. A genuine bargain.

It’s incredible what Microsoft has managed to cram into such a cheap, inconspicuous phone. It has nailed all the major points internally, with a great camera, excellent battery and an adequate processor for the well-optimised Windows Phone OS. The only problem is Windows Phone itself, which still struggles to convince the sceptics.

Although it is more expensive than the 640, you get the advantage of a much bigger screen and some seriously good battery life. The camera has also gotten a bump too, producing some excellent images for this price-point. It’s just a shame that the processor hasn’t been improved to complement them.

OS Windows Phone 8.1 Processor 1.2GHz dual-core Screen 4 inches Resolution 800 x 480 Memory 1GB RAM Storage 8GB MicroSD compatible? yes Cameras 2MP rear-facing, VGA front-facing Video 480p

OS Windows Phone 8.1 GDR2 Processor 1.2GHz quad-core Screen 5 inches Resolution 1280 x 720 Memory 1GB RAM Storage 8GB Camera 8MP rear-facing, 1MP front-facing Video 1080p Connectivity 4G

OS Windows Phone 8.1 GDR2 Processor 1.2GHz quad-core Screen 5.7 inches Resolution 1280 x 720 pixels Memory 1GB RAM Storage 8GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera13MP rear-facing, 5MP front-facing Video 1080p

Connectivity 4G Dimensions 118 x 65 x 11.7mm Weight 131g Battery 1,560 mAh

VERDICT: A bargain-bin handset that still



VERDICT: A brilliant battery and solid performance make this a bargain device.

VERDICT: Not a huge leap up but the

manages to run Windows Phone very well.






camera and battery are worth the money.



buyer’s guide

Nokia Lumia 735

Nokia Lumia 830

Nokia Lumia 925

Reviewed: December 2014, price: £299 www.microsoft.com/en-gb/mobile/

Reviewed: March 2015, price: £267 www.microsoft.com/en-gb/mobile/

Reviewed: August 2013, price: £479 www.microsoft.com/en-gb/mobile/

Microsoft has produced a genuine rival to the bestselling Motorola Moto G in the form of the Lumia 735. With the introduction of an HD display and 4G LTE this is much more than just another selfie phone. But if selfies are what you’re after the Lumia 735 offers plenty of fun ways to snap images of you and your friends with its 5-megapixel front camera.

The Nokia Lumia 830 is not quite the swansong we were hoping for. It’s not hugely affordable, and nor does the phone’s hardware make full use of that 4G connectivity. Mid-range mobiles seldom convince us of their reason to exist and this final Nokia is no exception. It does look the part, and Cortana is improving, but there are simply better options out there.

With the Lumia 925 Nokia hasn’t set out to reinvent the wheel, it has just built on its past achievements to put together a brilliant phone. A gorgeous slimmeddown design, high performance camera and responsive user interface all set this handset apart from the rest of the Lumia range and make it a top level device in the high-end smartphone market. One of the best out there.

OS Windows Phone 8.1 Processor 1.2GHz quad-core Screen 4.7 inches Resolution 1,280 x 720 pixels Memory 1GB RAM Storage 8GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 6.7MP rear-facing, 5MP front-facing Video 1080p

OS Windows Phone 8.1 Processor 1.2GHz quad-core Screen 5 inches Resolution 720 x 1280 pixels Memory 1GB RAM Storage 16GB MicroSD compatible? yes, up to 128GB Camera 10MP rear-facing, 0.9MP front-facing

OS Windows Phone 8 Processor 1.5GHz dual-core Screen 4.5 inches Resolution: 1280 x 760 Memory 1GB RAM Storage 16/32GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 8MP rear-facing, 1.3MP front-facing Video: 1080p



Connectivity 4G Dimensions 129 x 70.6 x 8.5mm Weight: 139g Battery 2,000 mAh

VERDICT: A Windows Phone to match the

VERDICT: Underpowered and overpriced,

VERDICT: A fantastic camera, slick design

Moto G, the 735 is a selfie star.

the Lumia 830 is average and forgettable.

and great user interface make this top dog.








buyer’s guide

Nokia Lumia 930

Nokia Lumia 1020

Nokia Lumia 1320


Reviewed: November 2013, price: £639.99 www.microsoft.com/en-gb/mobile/

Reviewed: April 2014, price: £280 www.microsoft.com/en-gb/mobile/

The plus side for those looking for something different is that Windows Phone has come along enough now that its mere presence on a handset isn’t enough to relegate it completely. The Lumia 930 is the flagship that the range has been crying out for for far too long now, and if you don’t mind having a relatively restricted ecosystem then you should have very few issues with it.

The Lumia 1020 is an ideal smartphone for those of you who don’t care about apps and it’s perfect if you love to take great pictures. It might not be the slimmest device you can get your hands on but the 1020’s powerful camera is well worth the extra bulk.

The Lumia 925 and 1020 were large enough, and the lack of software taking advantage of the big display, unlike with the Samsung Galaxy Note, means those extra inches just leave you looking faintly ridiculous when answering a call. You’re better off spending your money on an Android phablet or Google’s Nexus 5.

OS Windows Phone 8.1 Processor 2.2GHz quad-core Screen 5 inches Resolution 1920 x 1080 pixels Memory 2GB RAM Storage 32GB MicroSD compatible? No Camera 20MP rear-facing, 1.2MP front-facing

OS Windows Phone 8 Processor 1.5GHz dual-core Screen 4.5 inches Resolution: 1280 x 760 Memory 2GB RAM Storage 32GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 41MP rear-facing, 1.2MP front-facing Video: 1080p

OS Windows Phone 8 Processor 1.7GHz dual-core Screen 6 inches Resolution 1280 x 720 pixels Memory 1GB Storage 8GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 5MP rear-facing, VGA front-facing Video 1080p

Video 1080p Connectivity 4G lte Dimensions 137 x 71 x 9.8mm Weight 167g Battery 2,420 mAh

VERDICT: The closest to rivalling Android and iOS that Windows Phone has ever come.



Connectivity 4G Dimensions 130.4 x 71.4 x 10.4mm Weight: 158g Battery 2,000 mAh

VERDICT: A top smartphone with an

Connectivity 4G-lte Dimensions 164.2 x 85.9 x 9.8mm Weight 220g Battery 3,400 mAh

VERDICT: A good phone but the Nexus 5

astounding camera – one of the best.

simply undercuts the competition too well.






buyer’s guide

Nokia Lumia 1520

OnePlus One

OnePlus Two

Reviewed: February 2014, price: £550 www.microsoft.com/en-gb/mobile/

Reviewed: June 2015, price: £269 www.oneplus.net

Reviewed: November 2015, price: £289 www.oneplus.net

Although the Nokia Lumia 1520 weighs in at a whopping £550 (SIM-free), it could cost you considerably more to purchase a standalone camera, camcorder, satnav, tablet and a laptop computer that can run Microsoft Office.

If you’re not bothered about Samsung, Apple or any of the other big brand names, then we highly recommend the OnePlus One. It offers class-leading specs for half the price of an iPhone 6 or Samsung Galaxy S6. That attractive price is topped off by excellent build quality and unlimited customisation options.

With only its second device ever, OnePlus has knocked it out of the park with the OnePlus 2. It has improved a lot on the OnePlus One with the seemingly endless battery life, souped-up specs and, of course, the incredible price.

OS Windows Phone 8 Processor 2.2GHz quad-core Screen 6 inches Resolution 1920 x 1080 pixels Memory 2GB RAM Storage 32GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 20MP rear-facing, 1.2MP front-facing Video 1080p

OS cyanogenmod version of Android 4.4 Processor 2.5Ghz quad-core Qualcomm snapdragon 801 Screen 5.5 inches Gorilla Glass 3 Resolution 1920 x 1080 Memory 3GBRAM Storage 64GB MicroSD compatible? yes

OS lollipop v5.1 Processor Quad-core 1.56 GHz and 1.82, snapdragon 810 Screen 5.5 inches Resolution 1080 x 1920 pixels (401 ppi pixel density) Memory 4GB RAM Storage 64GB MicroSD compatible? No Camera 13MP rear-facing,

Connectivity 4G-lte Dimensions 162.8 x 85.4 x 8.7mm Weight 209g Battery 3,200 mAh

Camera 13MP rear-facing, 5MP front-facing Connectivity 4G, dual-band wi-fi, Bluetooth 4.0, Nfc, Gos antenna Video 1080 HD Dimensions 152.9 x 75.9 x 8.9mm Weight 162g Battery 3100 mAh

5MP front-facing Video 2160p@30fps, 720p@120fps Connectivity 3G & 4G Dimensions 151.8 x 74.9 x 9.9 mm Weight 175 g Battery Non-removable 3300 mAh

VERDICT: A great all-in-one device that

VERDICT: A top-spec smartphone for half

VERDICT: A phone so affordable for the specs

mashes the best of Nokia together.

the price of the iPhone 6? Yes please!

on offer it would be foolish to pass up.








buyer’s guide

Panasonic Lumix DMC-CMq

Prestigio MultiPhone 5430

Samsung galaxy A7

Reviewed: October 2015, price: £799 www.panasonic.com/uk/consumer

Reviewed: November 2013, price: £190 www.prestigio.com

Reviewed: July 2015, price: £319.99 www.samsung.com/uk

This is by no means a cheap device but you most definitely get what you pay for. Considering when it first released, the Panasonic DMC-CM1 had flagship specifications and a true camera sensor to match even the best compact/bridge cameras. Fast forward to now and little has changed; this is still the best camera phone you can get and by quite some distance

The Prestigio MultiPhone 5430 is a bland piece of kit that lacks any real highlights, but is undoubtedly a capable and efficient smartphone. Perhaps its best feature is that it gets the core experience right, if not groundbreakingly so. The very basics of what you expect from a smartphone in 2013 are here but there isn’t much else.

The Samsung Galaxy A7 is an attractive proposition, But looks aren’t everything. The cheaper £269 OnePlus One offers more power, a similar screen size and up-to-date software. And the £129 Vodafone Smart 4 Max with a bigger screen is less than half the price. If it’s about power, not just looking powerful, perhaps look elsewhere.

OS Android KitKat 4.4.2 (upgradable to 5.0) Processor 2.3 GHZ snapdragon 801 Screen 4.7-inches Resolution 1,920 x 1,080 pixels Memory 2GB RAM Storage 16GB MicroSD compatible? yes,

OS Android 4.0 ice cream sandwich Processor intel Atom 1.2GHz Screen 4.3 inches Resolution 1920 x 1080 pixels Memory 1GB RAM Storage 4GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 8MP rear-facing, 0.3MP front-facing

OS Android 4.4 KitKat Processor 1.5GHz Quad-core Screen 5.5-inches Resolution 1080 x 1920 pixels Memory 2GB RAM Storage 16GB Camera 13MP Video yes Connectivity 3G

up to 128GB Camera 20MP rear-facing, 1.1MP front-facing Video 2160p (15fps only) Connectivity 4G Dimensions 135.4 x 68 x 21.1 mm Weight 204g Battery 2,600mAh

Video 1080p Connectivity 3G Dimensions 126 x 64.7 x 10mm Weight 140g Battery 2,000 mAh

Dimensions 151 x 76.2 x 6.3mm Weight 141g Battery 2,600 mAh

VERDICT: An attractive device but it has

VERDICT: If you’ve got the wallet and

VERDICT: Perfectly ordinary – but it’s

pocket space for it, you’ll be blown away.

positioned as an everyday smartphone.

less power than similar devices.








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buyer’s guide

Samsung galaxy Ace 3

Samsung galaxy K Zoom

Samsung galaxy Note 3

Reviewed: March 2014, price: £180 www.samsung.com/uk

Reviewed: October 2014, price: £400 www.samsung.com/uk

Reviewed: December 2013, price: £649 www.samsung.com/uk

The Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 is a good handset that’s been made irrelevant by cheaper competition. While it packs a vibrant display and solid specs, similar phones sit well below the £180 benchmark set here. Samsung will have to rethink its pricing. If it weren’t for the Moto G’s release this would be an emphatic recommendation – unfortunately Samsung will have to settle for the silver medal.

We can see what Samsung set out to achieve with the Galaxy K zoom, and creating a solid Android smartphone with an optical zoom is no small feat. However, it looks like a dated digital camera at best – newer devices are much more compact. If you’re after a smartphone with a solid snapper, we’d advise you to seek out the LG G3 or Sony Xperia Z2 instead.

The Note 3 steps over the competition with its large, engulfing display and great battery life, but it’s the stylus that’s the star of the show here, with great integration that makes it an ideal note-keeping device. This makes it ideal for business people on the move, although they’ll have to make sure they keep an eye on the easy-to-lose pen at all times.

OS Android 4.2 Jelly Bean Processor 1.2GHz dual-core Screen 4 inches Resolution 480 x 800 pixels Memory 1GB RAM Storage 8GB/16GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 5MP rear-facing, VGA front-facing Video 720p

OS Android 4.4 (KitKat) Processor Hexa-core: 1.3GHz quad-core + 1.7GHz dual-core Screen 4.8 inches Resolution 1,280 x 720 pixels Memory 2GB RAM Storage 8GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 20.7MP rear-facing, 2MP front-facing

OS Android 4.3 Jelly Bean Processor 2.3GHz quad-core Screen 5.7 inches Resolution1080 x 1920 pixels Memory 3GB RAM Storage 16/32/64GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 13MP front-facing, 2MP rear-facing Video 4K



Dimensions 151.2 x 79.2 x 8.3mm Weight 168g Battery 3,200 mAh

VERDICT: Premium build quality and visuals at a good price – just not a great one.

VERDICT: A decent smartphone and an

VERDICT: A fantastic portable business

excellent camera in a hideous body.

device with helpful, unique features.








buyer’s guide

Samsung galaxy Note 4

Samsung galaxy Note Edge Samsung galaxy S3 Mini

Reviewed: December 2013, price: £498 www.samsung.com/uk

Reviewed: April 2015, price: £610 www.samsung.com/uk

Reviewed: January 2013, price: £300 www.samsung.com/uk

This year’s effort ensures the Note remains top of the phablet pile, but unless you’re particularly taken with the stylus and splitscreen app combo, you shouldn’t discount the latest flagship phones. The LG G3 and new Motorola Moto X are stunning devices, only slightly smaller in size and power. Unless you’ve got a thing for faux leather, that is, in which case the Note 4 is the best gadget ever made.

The Samsung Galaxy Note Edge points to an exciting future when we no longer have to accept that a smartphone screen has to be rectangular. As is often the case with a new technology, though, it needs more work. As cool as the edge looks, it serves little purpose, other than to make this a more expensive Note 4. Call us when the screen wraps all the way around, Samsung.

Something of a misnomer, this is no relation to its bigger brother, the S III,despite the design similarities. The Mini is little more than a shrunk down Galaxy S II. If users want a budget Galaxy, they are better off pursuring that (former) flagship on a budget plan – this is extortionately expensive for what you get.

OS Android 4.4 KitKat Processor 2.7GHz quad-core Screen 5.7 inches Resolution 1,440 x 2,560-pixels Memory 3GB RAM Storage 32GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 16MP rear-facing, 3.7MP front-facing

OS Android 4.4.4 KitKat Processor Quad-core 2.7GHz Krait 450 Screen 5.6-inches Resolution 1,600 x 2,560 pixels Memory 3GB RAM Storage 32/64GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 16MP rear-facing,

OS Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Processor 1GHz dual-core Screen 4 inches Resolution 480 x 800 pixels Memory 1GHz RAM Storage 8/16GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 5MP rear-facing, 0.3MP front-facing Video 720p

Video 2160p at 30fps Connectivity 4G Dimensions 153.5 x 78.6 x 8.5mm Weight 176g Battery 3,220 mAh

3.7MP front-facing Video 4K @ 60fps Connectivity 4G Dimensions 151.3 x 82.4 x 8.3mm Weight 174g Battery 3,000 mAh

VERDICT: Still king of the phablets, but not

VERDICT: A worthwhile endeavour – for

by such a distance this time around.

Samsung’s engineers, not the consumer.






Connectivity 3G Dimensions: 121.6 x 63 x 9.9mm Weight 111.5g Battery 1,500 mAh

VERDICT: A cheeky move by Samsung to pass this off as a premium device. It’s not.



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Samsung galaxy S4

Samsung galaxy S4 Active

Samsung galaxy S5

Reviewed: July 2012, price: £550 www.samsung.com/uk

Reviewed: November 2013, price: £400 www.samsung.com/uk

Reviewed: June 2014, price: £530 www.samsung.com/uk

An impressive hardware offering with intriguing new software and camera features but these need to be perfected and integrated into the device as a whole before the S4 can really be called a knock out. While the phone’s processor seemed to struggle with games and the design is pretty similar to the S3, this is a solid offering from Samsung in the flagship race.

The Active S4 is ideal for people looking for a more protected smartphone, although it does make some sacrifices. Its design is too rugged for mainstream appeal and its display and camera aren’t great. But it’s a great hybrid for an underwater camera and is perfect for adventurous lifestyles.

The thing about Galaxy handsets is that their flaws are often matters of personal opinion. If you don’t mind the samey design, plasticky build and irksome user interface, then the Galaxy S5 could be the best smartphone going. It’s insanely powerful, has a blinding display and is even waterproof. If you care about substance over style then the Galaxy S5 is as good as it gets.

OS Android 4.2 Jelly Bean CPu 1.6 GHz quad-core Screen 5 inches Resolution 1080 x 1920 pixels Memory 512MB RAM Storage 16/32/64GB MicroSD compatible? yes Cameras 13MP front-facing, 2MP front-facing Video 1080p

OS Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean Processor 1.9 GHz quad-core Screen 5 inches Resolution 1080 x 1920 pixels Memory 2GB RAM Storage 16GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 8MP rear-facing, 2MP front-facing Video 1080p

OS Android 4.4 KitKat Processor 2.5GHz quad-core Screen 5.1 inches Resolution 1920 x 1080 pixels Memory 2GB RAM Storage 16/32GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 16MP rear-facing, 2MP front-facing Video 1080p



Connectivity 4G lte Dimensions 142mm x 72.5mm x 8.1mm Weight 145g Battery 2,800 mAh

VERDICT: An impressive offering with interesting but not integrated new software.

VERDICT: It may not be quite as good as its

VERDICT: Behind a cheap-looking build lies

big brother, but it certainly has its purpose.

the beastliest smartphone around.






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buyer’s guide

eDitoR’s cHoice

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Samsung galaxy S6 edge

Sony Xperia Z1

Sony Xperia Z1 Compact

Reviewed: June 2015, price: £760 www.samsung.com/uk

Reviewed: December 2013, price: £475 www.sonymobile.com

Reviewed: March 2014, price: £449 www.sonymobile.com

This is currently one of the best looking smartphones on the market. That dualcurved screen makes the iPhone 6 Plus and HTC One M9 look boring in comparison. An insanely fast camera and superb performance means that the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge isn’t just about looks either.

It’s a little on the large side, but Sony’s latest handset is rock solid, with powerful hardware and a unique design. Fans of the company will be right at home with the software that stores movies, music and games you’ve bought across other platforms. Add in a great camera and you’ve got a phone that stops just short of best in class.

If you hate giant displays and don’t have the patience for Apple’s iOS and its restrictive App Store, the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact is your only choice, and a great one at that. Sony has done well to make a phone with the power to rival the mighty iPhone in an equally small package. In-built Sony-branded apps such as Walkman and PlayStation is an inherent plus, too. Fingers crossed for a KitKat 4.4 upgrade soon.

OS Android 5.0 lollipop Processor octa-core samsung exynos 7420 Screen 5.1-inches Resolution 1,440 x 2,560 Memory 3GB RAM Storage 64GB/128GB MicroSD compatible? No Camera 16MP rear-facing 5MP front-facing

OS Android 4.2 Jelly Bean Processor snapdragon 800 quad-core 2.2GHz Screen 1080 x 1920 pixels, 5 inches Memory 2GB RAM Storage 16GB expandable up to 64GB via MicrosD Camera 20.7MP rear-facing, 2MP front-facing

OS Android 4.3 Processor Qualcomm snapdragon 800 Screen 4.3-inch HD triluminos Resolution 720 x 1,280 pixels Memory 2GB Storage 16GB, expandable to 64GB

Video 4K Connectivity 4G Dimensions 142.11 x 70.1 x 7mm Weight 132g Battery 2,600 mAh

VERDICT: A phone that grabs attention with

Video 1080p Wireless Wi-fi, Bluetooth 4.0 Ports MicrosD, microusB Battery 3000 mAh Dimensions 144 x 74 x 8.5mm Weight 170g

VERDICT: Software makes it great for Sony

both its looks and performance.

fans, hardware makes it good for the rest






Camera 20.7MP exmor Rs Video 720p Connectivity Wi-fi, 3G, 4G, Bluetooth 4.0, Nfc Dimensions 127 x 64.9 x 9.5mm Weight 137g Battery 2,300 mAh

VERDICT: The most powerful, best looking compact Android available. Simple.



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Sony Xperia Z2

Sony Xperia Z3

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact

Reviewed: July 2014, price: £579 www.sonymobile.com



The Z2 matches its rivals’ power and usability. A lack of design innovation and similar specs might deter Z1 owners from upgrading, though, and the large size might not appeal to fans of smaller devices. That said, superior imaging and a powerful processor and CPU means it excels in the right places.

We were all a little bit surprised when Sony elected to release a new flagship a matter of months after the Xperia Z2 hit shelves. After reviewing it though, the company’s reasoning is obvious. The Z3 is a true flagship as worthy of your attention (and cash) as any other in this Buyer’s Guide. The Z3 has premium design, hugely powerful internals and an array of neat features. A very impressive device.

The Xperia Z3 Compact is indisputably the most powerful compact Android ever made. We can’t really slight it for anything, and no other Android phone in its size bracket can come close to matching it. It’s remarkable that Sony has managed to squeeze almost the exact same technology from the Z3 into a smaller body. Finally, Android powerusers have a valid option in the sub-five inch display category.

OS Android 4.4 KitKat Processor 2.3GHz quad-core Screen 5.2 inches Resolution 1080 x 1920 pixels Memory 3GB RAM Storage 16GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 20.7MP rear-facing, 2.2MP front-facing Video 720p

OS Android 4.4 Kit Kat Processor 2.5GHz quad-core Screen 5.2 inches Resolution 1,920 x 1,080 pixels Memory 3GB RAM Storage 16GB MicroSD compatible? yes, up to 128GB Camera 20.7MP rear-facing, 2.2MP front-facing

OS Android 4.4 Kit Kat Processor 2.5GHz quad-core Screen 4.6 inches Resolution 1,280 x 720 pixels Memory 2GB RAM Storage 16GB MicroSD compatible? yes, up to 128GB Camera 20.7MP rear-facing, 2.2MP front-facing


Video 4K Connectivity 4G Dimensions 146 x 72 x 7.3mm Weight 152g Battery 3,100 mAh

Video 4K Connectivity 4G Dimensions 127 x 64.9 x 8.6mm Weight 129g Battery 2,600 mAh

VERDICT: An immaculate smartphone, if

VERDICT: Sony’s best full-sized offering yet,

only a small step up from its predecessor.

although the camera is aging a little now.

VERDICT: The definitive small-sized Android smartphone. The most powerful yet.








buyer’s guide

Vodafone Smart 4 Max

Vodafone Smart 4 Power

Vodafone Smart ultra 6

Reviewed: July 2015, price: £129.99 www.vodafone.co.uk

Reviewed: February 2015, price: £79 www.vodafone.co.uk

Reviewed: September 2015, price: £125 www.vodafone.co.uk

If you crave a 6-inch 4G phablet for the equivalent of £2.50 a week over a year the Smart 4 Max is the only game in town. Purists will sneer at its elderly processor, low-res screen and lack of ‘Lollipop’. You’ll be the one with around £400 more in your bank account. Just bear in mind it can only connect to Vodafone 4G network and you can’t remove the Vodafone embedded software.

The benchmark scores of a £79 phone were never going to impress anyone: the Smart 4 Power is not a handset for playing the latest taxing games on. That said, it’s enough to deliver on the advantages of 4G. If instant information rather than instant gratification is what you’re after, this phone delivers for the price.

Packing a fast processor, excellent screen and plenty of battery life, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a rival phone which offers quite this much for the money. Even the camera is pretty good, offering full manual controls and a high megapixel count. If you’re after a true bargain Android device and are happy to forgo the big brands, this is well worth a look.

OS Android 4.4 KitKat Processor snapdragon MsM8926 Screen 6-inches Memory 1GB RAM Storage 8GB Camera 13MP Video yes Connectivity 4G Dimensions 164 x 83.4 x 7.9mm

OS Android 4.4 KitKat Processor 1.3GHz quad-core Screen 5 inches Resolution 720 x 1280 Memory 1GB RAM Storage 4GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 5MP rear-facing, VGA front-facing Video 720p

OS Android 5.0 lollipop Processor 1.5GHz quad-core Screen 5.5 inches Resolution 1920 x 1080 Memory 2GB RAM Storage 16GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 13MP rear-facing, 5MP front-facing Video 1080p 30fps

Weight 170g Battery 3,800 mAh

VERDICT: A great prices makes this


Connectivity 4G Dimensions 154 x 77 x 8.4mm Weight 159g Battery 3,000 mAh

worthwhile for first-time buyers.

VERDICT: Poor specs distract from what is an ergonomic and capable 4G starter.

VERDICT: Excellent specs and great battery life make this seriously good value.








buyer’s guide

Wileyfox Swift

yezz Andy A5

yotaPhone 2

Reviewed: November 2015, price: £129 www.wileyfox.com

Reviewed: June 2014, price: £207 www.sayyezz.com

Reviewed: June 2014, price: £549 www.yotaphone.com/gb-en/

A good budget handset that struggles to stand out from the crowd, the Wileyfox Swift faces stiff competition from the likes of Motorola. Punch-for-punch, it has fetaures to match similar handsets but the difficulty of being an entirely new brand will make it hard to claw loyal fans away from other devices.

Camera phone fans on a tight budget should definitely seek out the Andy A5 for its affordable price and high-quality camera. If taking photos is not that important to you then you’ll probably have seen the uninspired design and bland features a million times before.

The YotaPhone 2 fixes almost all of the original’s flaws, and turns the rear E Ink display from an impractical cherry on top, to one of the phone’s main ingredients. There’s no denying this quirky conversation-starter is for a niche audience, and a rich one at that. We can’t wait to see what the YotaPhone 3 will bring – not least a price drop for this model.

OS Android (cyanogen 12.1) Processor 1.2GHz quad-core Screen 5.0 inches Resolution 1280 x 720 pixels Memory 2GB RAM Storage 16GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 13MP rear-facing Video 1080p at 30fps

OS Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) Processor Quad-core 1.2GHz Screen 5 inches Resolution 540 x 960 pixels Memory 512MB RAM Camera 13MP rear-facing, 2MP front-facing Connectivity 3G, wi-fi Dimensions 144.1 x 73.5 x 8.6mm

OS Android 4.4 KitKat Processor Quad-core

Connectivity Dual-siM, 4G Dimensions 141.15mm x 71mm x 9.37mm Weight 135g Battery 2,500 mAh


2.3GHz Krait 400 Screen 5 inches Resolution 1,080 x 1,920 pixels Memory 2GB RAM Storage 32GB MicroSD compatible? No Camera 8MP rear-facing,

2.1MP front-facing

Video 1080p Connectivity 4G Dimensions 144 x 69.5 x

8.9mm


VERDICT: A solid performer that can’t quite make itself stand out from the rest.

VERDICT: A great camera but the rest struggles against more bullish counterparts.

VERDICT: If you’re constantly reading on the go this is the best new smartphone in years.








buyer’s guide

ZTE Blade Vec 4g

ZTE Blade V

ZTE Blade S6

Reviewed: February 2015, price: £153 www.ztedevices.co.uk

Reviewed: February 2014, price: £99.99 www.ztedevices.co.uk

Reviewed: August 2015 price: £169.99 www.ztedevices.co.uk

Once you’ve fixed all the software customisations present on the Vec 4G, you’re left with a pretty respectable performer for the price. The large, sharp display does a great job of quickly rendering web pages over 4G, Unfortunately, the Vec 4G battery’s small capacity and demanding hardware mean you’ll often find the phone emptied by the end of the day. It also has storage issues – namely no SD card slot.

A fantastic price makes the ZTE Blade V easy to recommend for first-time buyers. Anyone hoping to get the most out of a smartphone’s apps and snaps should look elsewhere, but if you don’t want to worry about a phone for the kids being broken or stolen, then this is for you.

The ZTE Blade S6 is definitely more than just a cheap iPhone 6 rip off. A decent camera helps it stand out from the rest of the mid-range crowd, while performance is surprisingly decent for a phone of this price. It’s let down by poor build quality and software that lacks certain features. The price is the most attractive, however, and those negatives shouldn’t put you off this decent mid-range phone.

OS Android 4.4 KitKat Processor 1.2GHz quad-core Screen 5 inches Resolution 720 x 1280 Memory 1GB RAM Storage 16GB MicroSD compatible? No Camera 8MP rear-facing, 1MP

OS Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Processor snapdragon s4 Play Screen 480 x 800, 4 inches Memory 1GB RAM Storage 4GB Camera 5MP Video yes Connectivity 3G Dimensions 126 x 64 x 10.9mm

OS Android 5.0 lollipop Processor snapdragon 615 Screen 5-inches Memory 2GB RAM Storage 16GB Camera 13MP Video yes Connectivity 4G Dimensions 144 x 70.7 x 7.7mm Weight 154g

Connectivity 4G Dimensions 142.3 x 70.4 x 7.8mm

Weight 155g

Battery 2,300 mAh

front-facing Video 1080p


Battery 2,400 mAh

VERDICT: Solid specs for 4G at a reasonable price, but there are better options out there.

VERDICT: A great prices makes this

VERDICT: An affordable phone with

worthwhile for first-time buyers.

surprisingly decent performance.








buyer’s guide

Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9” Acer Iconia Tab 8

Advent Vega Tegra Note 7

Reviewed: May 2013, price: £229/259 www.amazon.co.uk

Reviewed: April 2015, price: £140 www.amazon.co.uk

Reviewed: April 2014, price: £140 www.nvidia.co.uk

A good looking e-reader with tablet capabilities, limited by Amazon’s annoying operating system and app eco-system, and an annoyingly slow browser. This device will doubtless be a commercial success, with its branding and ease of use, but for the more serious user there are much better tablets out there.

Acer has managed to do what manufacturers of every cheap tablet should aspire to: create a tablet that is priced extremely competitively, but which performs to a standard much higher than you’d expect for its cost. A few compromises have been made along the way, but this is still a budget slab that’s well worth considering.

It’s a contender, alright. Aside from some clunky desing issues, the Advent Vega Tegra Note 7 is a powerful and punchy little machine. If you’re after a compact and affordable tablet its speed sets it aside from its rivals as a device that’s great for gaming, customising images and browsing the web.

Dimensions 240 x 164 x 8.8mm OS customized Android 4.0 Screen 8.9 inch iPs lcD capacitive touchscreen Resolution 1920 x 1200, 254 ppi Processor ti oMAP 4470 dual-core 1.5 GHz cortex-A9 gPu PowerVR sGX544

OS Android 4.4 KitKat Processor 1.3GHz quad-core Screen 8 inches Resolution 1,280 x 800 pixels Memory 2GB RAM Storage 16GB/32GB MicroSD compatible? yes, up to 32GB Camera 5MP rear-facing,

OS Android Jelly Bean 4.3 Processor Nvidia tegra 4 Screen 7 inches Resolution 1,280 x 800 pixels Memory 1GB RAM Storage 16GB Connectivity Wi-fi, Bluetooth 4.0 Dimensions 119 x 199 x 9.6mm

RAM 1GB RAM Storage 16GB/32GB Cameras front facing 1.3MP with 720p video Wireless 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band Ports usB 2.0, 3.5mm audio jacks, Bluetooth A2DP Battery life 10 hours (accurate)

2MP front-facing Video 720p Connectivity Wi-fi only Dimensions 215 x 130 x 8.5mm Weight 360g Battery 4,600 mAh

Weight 320g Battery 8 hours

VERDICT: A solid, functional tablet that is

VERDICT: It has a few flaws, but for less

VERDICT: Its speed sets it apart from its

limited by its Amazon associations.

than £150 you should look past them.

competition. A cheap and capable device.








buyer’s guide

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Amazon Kindle Fire HDX

Apple iPad Mini

Apple iPad 3

Reviewed: January 2014, price: £199-329 www.amazon.co.uk/kindle

Reviewed: December 2012, price: £269 www.apple.com/uk

Reviewed: April 2012, price: £399 www.apple.com/uk

The Kindle Fire HDX is around £100 more than the Fire but the improved screen and processor justifies the extra cost. The real human Help feature will be a boon to tablet newbies; experienced users will regard it as a gimmick. The HDX is a top-rate device – but if you’re not a regular Amazon customer you’re better off with a Nexus.

The iPad Mini represents Apple playing it safe, which is to say: disappointing. This is little more than an iPad 2, with all its limitations – a low-res screen and weak processor power – shrunk down to an odd 7.9-inch size. It is also overpriced, the Google Nexus 7 offers superior performance for £100 less. Despite its luxurious design, you really are paying for little more than 4G support and Apple’s App Store. Average.

The new iPad boasts the highest-resolution display of any tablet, as well as an improved 5MP camera and better connectivity. Not to mention a high-powered new processor which makes it the most powerful iPad ever, too. Though some may resist the upgrade path, the unrivalled Retina display is a subtle but deeply appealing feature that will become more and more desirable. The new iPad is by far the best tablet around

OS Amazon customised Android os, v4.1.2 Screen 1902 x 1200 pixels, 7 inches Processor snapdragon 800 2.2GHz quad-core Memory 2GB RAM Storage 16/ 32/64GB versions available Camera 8MP front-facing

OS ios 6.0.1 Screen 7.9-inch leD-backlit iPs lcD Resolution 768 x 1024 pixels at 162 pixels per inch Input capacitive touchscreen CPu Apple A5 1GHz dual core gPu PowerVR sGX543MP2 Memory 512MB Storage 16/32/64GB

OS ios 5 Screen 9.7-inch tft Resolution 1536 x 2048 pixels Input capacitive touchscreen Processor 1GHz cortex-A9 Memory 1GB Storage 16/32/64GB Camera 5MP rear-facing, 0.3MP front-facing

Video 720HD Wireless Wi-fi (optional Vodafone 4G version) Ports microusB Dimensions 131.8 x 66.9 x 9.9mm Weight 302g

Camera 5MP rear facing, 1.2MP front facing Video 1920x1080 (1080P HD) at 30fps. Video stabilised Wireless Wi-fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, Bluetooth 4.0 Ports 3.5mm audio jack, Apple lightning port (usB 2.0) Size 200 x 134.7 x 7.2mm Weight 308g

Flash No Video 1080p HD Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-fi, Bluetooth 4.0 Ports 3.5mm audio jack, proprietary Apple connector Standby time 720 hours use time 9 hours Size 241 x 186 x 9mm Weight 662g

VERDICT: A significant update to the Fire

VERDICT: Little more than a shrunken iPad

VERDICT: There’s simply no contest – the

and ideal for Amazon users.

2 with 4G. Disappointing.

new iPad is the best tablet in the world.








buyer’s guide

eDitoR’s cHoice

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Apple iPad 4

Archos 79 Platinum

Archos 101 XS 2

Reviewed: January 2013, price: £399 www.apple.com/uk

Reviewed: April 2014, price: £150 www.archos.com

Reviewed: February 2014, price: £250 www.archos.com

A rather cheeky move by Apple to release the iPad 4 (or ‘iPad with Retina Display’) just months after the iPad 3. All it really adds is a new processor (the iPhone 5’s A6X) and Apple’s new lightning connector. However, this means it remains as the best tablet money can buy – and Apple’s App Store and its 300,000 dedicated tablet apps only make the proposition more enticing.

With so many budget tablets to choose from the Archos 79 Platinum has no features or unique selling points to attract the consumer in a saturated market. Its hardware is woefully underpowered, its features are bog standard and it is at least £10 too expensive. Its attractive looks are not enough to redeem it. The bottom line is that it should have never been conceived.

A couple of years ago, the 101 XS would have had us singing Archos’ praises, but by today’s standards its processing power and screen quality fall short. It might, though, find a home with users limited to spending £250 on a 10-inch tablet

OS ios 6.0.1, Screen 9.7 inch leD Resolution 1536 x 2048 pixels at 264 ppi pixel density CPu Apple A6X, Dual-core gPu PowerVR sGX554MP4, Memory 1GB RAM Storage 16/32/64GB storage Camera 5MP rear facing, 1.2MP front facing

OS Android 4.2 Jelly Bean Processor Quad-core A9 1.6GHz Screen 7.85 inches Resolution 1024 x 768 pixels Memory 1GB RAM Storage 8GB Camera 2MP rear-facing Connectivity Wi-fi, Bluetooth Dimensions 201 x 137 x 8mm

OS Android 4.2.2 Screen 10.1-inch/1,280 x 800 pixels Camera 2MP rear, 2MP front Video Record/playback Audio Music player/3.5mm jack Memory 16GB expandable via MicrosD Dimensions 273 x 169 x

Video 1080P HD at 30fps Wireless Wi-fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 Cellular 4G, 3G, 2G Ports lightning connector (usB2.0) and 3.5mm audio jack, Dimensions 241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4mm Weight 662 g

VERDICT: The best tablet money can buy.



Weight 366g Battery lithium Polymer

10.1mm (tablet), 273 x 169 x 5mm (keyboard) Weight 636g (tablet), 200g (keyboard)

VERDICT: There is no reason you ever

VERDICT: A great price is let down by a

would, or should, buy it. Avoid, avoid, avoid.

poor screen and cheap build.






buyer’s guide

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Asus Transformer Pad TF701T

google Nexus 9

google Nexus 10

Reviewed: February 2015, price: £319 www.google.co.uk/nexus

Reviewed: February 2013, price: £319 www.google.co.uk/nexus

The Asus Transformer Pad TF701T packs a beautiful screen and the keyboard dock is well thought out. But dated software and the threat of a Google Nexus 10 sequel make this a niche device. Do you really need a keyboard? The iPad mini begs to differ.

The Google Nexus 9 is an impressive and welcome return to the tablet market for HTC, and a jewel of a gadget for Android 5.0 to debut on. The size is right, and if you know for sure you want an Android tablet, it’s your best bet – it’s certainly the best slate HTC has ever made – but for the money we’d still go for the quality build and thriving eco-system of an iPad.

Finally, the Android tablet everyone’s been waiting for – except Apple. This is a tablet that can go head to head with the best in the Apple iPad stable – it has a powerful processor, a Retina Display quality screen, the latest version of Android. Along with the Nexus 7, this is the best tablet Android users can buy. The only flaws are an uninspired body, and a dearth of tablet specific apps.

OS Android 4.3 (via an overthe-air update) Screen 10.1 inch/2,560 x 1,600 pixels Input capacitive touchscreen Camera 5MP rear-facing, 1.2MP front-facing Video Record/playback Audio Music player/3.5mm jack

OS Android 5.0 lollipop Screen 8.9-inch Resolution 2048 x 1536 pixels Processor tegra K1 2.3GHz Memory 2GB RAM Storage 16GB/32GB internal Camera 8MP rear-facing, 1.6MP front-facing Flash No Video 1080p HD

OS Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) Dimensions 263.9 x 177.6 x 8.9mm, 603g Screen 10 inch Resolution 2560 x 1600 pixels Input super Pls tft capacitive touch-screen CPu exynos 5, Dual-core ARM cortex-A15 RAM 2GB

Reviewed: February 2014, price: £429 www.asus.com

Memory 32/64GB Battery tablet 31Wh, dock 16Wh

Dimensions 153.68mm x 228.25mm x 7.95mm Weight 425g Battery 6,700 mAh

Cameras 5MP (main), 1.9MP (front) Wireless Wi-fi, Bluetooth NFC Android Beam Storage 16GB/32GB Connectivity Micro usB, Micro HDMi, 3.5mm headphone jack Battery 9,000 mAh

VERDICT: The best tablet on the market – if

VERDICT: The best Android tablet of 2013

compete with the iPad Air or Nexus range

you insist on Android, that is.

slips behind the iPad only due to apps.




VERDICT: It packs fast hardware but can’t





buyer’s guide

HP Slate 7

Lenovo ThinkPad 8

Lenovo Miix 2

Reviewed: October 2013, price: £125 www.hp.com

Reviewed: September 2014, price: £424 www.lenovo.com

Reviewed: July 2014, price: £255 www.microsoft.com/surface

The steel frame makes the Slate 7 an impressive sight and its audio uses Beats technology to great effect. The fantastic price will help it to undercut some of its rivals, though the slow processor and low quality camera keep it from besting them elsewhere.

If you just want a device for general tasks then you can find better alternatives within Lenovo’s Yoga range of Android slates, and elsewhere. If you’re a fan of Windows and in search of a bulkier device that offers plenty of productivity tools, then the ThinkPad is an (almost) viable option.

With solid performance across the board, frequently usable built-in apps and compact size the Miix 2 is a small but surprisingly versatile slate. Despite the limitations that come with the Windows OS, it performs general tasks well and, for the price, won’t let you down. With 3G capability you can even connect to the internet on the move. Overall, it offers plenty of pleasant surprises to combat the weaknesses of its OS.

OS Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Processor Dual-core 1.6 GHz cortex-A9 Screen 600 x 1024 pixels, 7.0 inches Memory 1GB RAM Storage 8GB expandable to 32GB via sD card Camera 3.15MP pixel rearfacing, VGA front-facing

OS Windows 8.1 Processor 2.4GHz quad-core Screen 8.3 inches Resolution 1200 x 1920 pixels Memory 2GB RAM Storage 32GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 8MP rear-facing, 2.2MP front-facing

OS Windows 8.1 Processor 1.3GHz quad-core Screen 8 inches Resolution 1280 x 800 pixels Memory 2GB Storage 32GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 5MP rear-facing, 2MP front-facing Video 1080p

Video 720p Dimensions 197.1 x 116.1 x 10.7mm Weight 372 g Battery non-removable, 5h media time

VERDICT: Great audio and build, but

Video 1080p Connectivity 4G Dimensions 8.83 x 5.2 x 0.35 inches Weight 439g


VERDICT: Even with so few Windows tablets available the ThinkPad still fails to stand out.

VERDICT: A small but substantial Windows

corners have been cut to keep costs down.






offering that still trails its Android rivals.



buyer’s guide

Lenovo yoga Tablet 2

Microsoft Surface 2 Pro

Microsoft Surface Pro 3

Reviewed: March 2015, price: £249 www.lenovo.com

Reviewed: February 2014, price: £720 www.microsoft.com/surface

Reviewed: November 2014, price: £640 www.microsoft.com/surface

Lenovo certainly deserves credit for trying to break the ‘black slab’ mould. It’s an interesting attempt at something different, but unless you have a real need to hang it up from the ceiling or to perch it upright on a train table every day its mediocre internals and display don’t represent that much value for money.

We can’t fault Microsoft’s ambition for the powerful Surface Pro 2 to become your all-in-one portable work and play device. It’s got a great display and solid hardware but a lack of dedicated apps, software compromises and stiff – cheaper – competition make it a tough sell.

From software to hardware and even design, the Surface Pro 3 is a wonderful piece of kit. It’s refreshing to come across a tablet with grander ideals than the norm, challenging us to rethink the notion of the medium. For most people this could genuinely replace their laptop. It’s just a shame, and an almost inexcusable mistake, that the keyboard which is so integral to its function is sold as an expensive extra.

OS Android 4.4 KitKat Processor 1.86GHz quad-core Screen 10.1inches Resolution 1920 x 1200 pixels Memory 2GB RAM Storage 16GB MicroSD compatible? yes, up to 64GB Camera 8MP rear-facing, 1.6MP front-facing

OS Windows 8.1 Screen 10.6 inches/1920 x 1080 pixels Input capacitive touchscreen Camera 720p resolution front and rear Video Record/playback Audio Music player/3.5mm jack Memory 64GB/128GB/

OS Windows 8.1 Processor 1.5GHz intel core i3/2.9GHz intel core i5/3.7GHz intel core i7 Screen 12 inches Resolution 2160 x 1440 pixels Memory 4/8GB RAM Storage 64GB/128GB/256GB/512GB

Video 720p Connectivity 4G optional Dimensions 255 x 183 x 7.2mm Weight 619g Battery 9,600 mAh

256GB/512GB Battery 48Wh

MicroSD compatible? yes, up to 128GB Camera 5MP rear-facing, 5MP front-facing Video 1080p Connectivity Wi-fi only Dimensions 292.1mm x 201.4mm x 9.1mm Weight 800g Battery 42Wh

VERDICT: A nice idea, but one we don’t

VERDICT: Price holds back what is an

VERDICT: The first tablet with enough

fully buy into. Not quite up to scratch.

otherwise excellent work/play hybrid.

function to conceivably replace a laptop.

Performance features usability Design







buyer’s guide

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Nokia Lumia 2520

Samsung galaxy Tab 3 Kids Samsung galaxy Tab S

Reviewed: February 2014, price: £399 www.nokia.com

Reviewed: February 2014, price: £250 www.nokia.com

Reviewed: October 2014, price: £319 www.samsung.com/uk

The Windows-run Lumia 2520 is a decent first effort from Nokia – and it’s certainly one of the more attractive and solid pieces of tablet hardware on the market. It has a few issues with the weight and a lackluster camera but overall we have no trouble recommending this to Windows 8.1 and Lumia fans.

The Tab 3 Kids is surprisingly robust, with a solid camera, great battery, fantastic educational apps and software to suit kids. But the premium design doesn’t feel like it was meant to be enjoyed by young users and we’d suggest going with a company that specialises in the market rather than one that’s testing it out.

While the Tab S may not be a radical departure from other Android tablets, it encompasses everything that is great about a top-notch Samsung product. It’s enough to rebuild the Korean giant’s brand image, and proof that the company can still surprise us with a fantastic all-round product.

OS Windows 8.1 Screen 10.1 inches, 1920 x 1080 pixels, 218PPi Processor Qualcomm snapdragon 800 Memory 2GB Camera 6.7MP with carl Zeiss lens Audio Music player/3.5mm jack

OS Android 4.1 Processor Dual-core 1.2GHz Screen 600 x 1024 pixels, 7 inches Memory 1GB RAM Storage 8GB/16GB, expandable up to 64GB Camera 3.15MP (back), 1.3MP (front) Video 720p@30fps

OS Android 4.4 Kit Kat Processor 2.3GHz quad-core Screen 8.4 inches Resolution 2560 x 1600 pixels Memory 3GB RAM Storage 16GB, 32GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 8MP rear-facing, 2.1MP front-facing Video 1080p

Dimensions 168 x 267 x 8.9mm, 615g Battery 8120 mAh

Wireless Wifi, Bluetooth 3.0 Ports micro-usB, MicrosD Dimensions 188 x 111.1 x 9.9mm Weight 306g Battery li-ion 4,000 mAh

VERDICT: A rock-solid first effort from

VERDICT: A little too premium for the

Nokia in this market with powerful specs.

market it is aimed at.






VERDICT: Simply put, it’s the best Android tablet on the market.




buyer’s guide

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Samsung galaxy Note Pro 12.2

Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet

Tesco Hudl 2

Reviewed: May 2014, price: £649 www.samsung.com/uk

Reviewed: October 2015, price: £499 www.sony.co.uk

Reviewed: January 2015, price: £129 www.tesco.com/direct/hudl

One of the biggest displays ever seen on a tablet – at no detriment to quality. Combine that with solid design and a super powerful processor to run loads of unique applications and the NotePRO 12.2 is arguably the best tablet on the market. It’s certainly the best Android slate, although it’s definitely priced as such.

The Sony Xperia Z4 is a beautifully engineered tablet with more than enough power to run even the most demanding app smoothly. Unfortunately, while slimline and lightweight, its listed price of £499.00 is surprisingly high for its provided specifications. Powerful but pricey.

This is no Tesco Value attempt at a tablet. Make no mistake, the Hudl 2 is a fantastic Android slate that’s great value for money. Sure, it’s not on the cutting edge like Google’s Nexus series of devices, but if all you want is a gadget to casually surf the web, watch some films or read a few comics, this device is every bit as capable as an iPad Mini.

OS Android 4.4 KitKat Processor octa-core (1.9GHz + 1.3GHz quad) Screen 12.2 inches Resolution 2560 x 1600 pixels Memory 3GB RAM Storage 32GB/64GB Camera 8MP rear/2MP front-facing Video 1,080p full HD

OS Android 5.0 (lollipop) Processor octa-core 2.0 GHz Qualcomm snapdragon 810, 64 bit Screen 10.1 inches Resolution 2560 x 1600-pixels Memory 3GB RAM Storage 32GB MicroSD compatible? yes,

OS Android 4.4 KitKat Processor 1.83GHz quad-core Screen 8.3 inches Resolution 1920 x 1200 pixels Memory 2GB RAM Storage 16GB MicroSD compatible? yes Camera 5MP rear-facing, 1.2MP front-facing Video 720p at 30fps

Connectivity Wi-fi only Dimensions 295.6 x 204 x 7.95mm Weight 750g Battery 9,500 mAh

up to 128GB Camera 8.1MP rear-facing, 5.1MP front-facing Video 1080p Connectivity 4G, Wi-fi Dimensions 167 x 254 x 6.1 mm Weight 393g Battery 6,000 mAh

Connectivity Wi-fi Dimensions 224 x 128 x 9mm Weight 410g Battery 4,900 mAh

VERDICT: Big, beautiful, functional and

VERDICT: Beautifully engineered, slimline

VERDICT: Don’t be fooled – Tesco is now a

priced to match. Android’s finest.

tablet but pricey considering specification.

serious contender in the tablet space.








buyer’s guide

Toshiba Excite Pure

Vodafone Smart Tab 4g

Vodafone Smart Tab 6

Reviewed: February 2014, price: £250 www.toshiba.co.uk

Reviewed: June 2015, price: £125 www.vodafone.co.uk

Reviewed: September 2015, price: £150 www.vodafone.co.uk

The Toshiba Excite Pure’s £250 price is attractive but its display is far too faded. It means apps and the like don’t look very good. It might appeal to families looking for a cheap way to keep the kids entertained but little else. Even so, the slow processor and useless apps force us to recommend you look elsewhere.

Attractive, cheap and feature-packed; the Vodafone Smart Tab 4G looks more upmarket than its affordable £125 pricing suggests. It’s let down by a slow processor, but that shouldn’t put you off what is basically well-designed and ideal family tablet.

The Smart Tab 6 is deinitely cheap but we’d suggest looking elsewhere for a good budget tablet. The screen isn’t that great and performance can’t quite keep up with more intensive tasks and games. It has a large battery and the build quality is definitely better than the price suggests, but these points aren’t enough to redeem what is an average tablet at best.

OS Android v4.2 (Jelly Bean) Processor Nvidia tegra 3 Memory 1GB Storage 16GB Screen 1280 x 800 pixels, 10.1 inches Video HD Audio stereo Dimensions 261.6 x 177.8 x 10.2mm

OS Android KitKat 4.4 Processor 1.2 GHz Quad-core Screen 8.0-inches Resolution 1280 x 800-pixels Memory 1GB RAM Storage 8GB MicroSD compatible? yes, up to 64GB Camera 5MP rear-facing, 2MP front-facing

OS Android 5.0.2 lollipop Processor Quad-core 1.3GHz Screen 1280 x 800 pixels, 9.6 inches Memory 1GB RAM Storage 16GB, expandable up to 32GB Camera 5MP rear-facing, 2MP front-facing Video 720p

VERDICT: It’s got a cheap price tag but the

VERDICT: An affordable and easy-to-use

VERDICT: Cheap but not quite good enough

poor display and tech shows why.

tablet that offers something for everyone.

to worry the competiton.





Connectivity GsM/ eDGe/3G/4G/HsPA+/lte Dimensions 209 x 128 x 7.99mm Weight 309g Battery 4060 mAh


Wireless Wifi, Bluetooth 4.1 Ports micro-usB, MicrosD Dimensions 146 x 244 x 7.9mm Weight 406g Battery li-ion 4,600 mAh



buyer’s guide

Asus ZenWatch Reviewed: April 2015, price: £204 www.asus.com/uk/ The Asus ZenWatch is handsome enough, but fails to stand out from the crowd of Android Wear devices. Google’s wearable OS still feels like a solution in search of a problem – unless you have a specific use in mind for its features you may want to hold out for the next generation of deviecs.

VERDICT: Attractive, but with too many caveats to recommend outright.

HHHHH

Fitbit Flex Reviewed: August 2014, price: £79.99 www.fitbit.com Minor niggles aside, the Fitbit Flex is possibly the best fitness wearable on the market. Its features are so diverse, and its app so beautiful and intuitive, that it can be tailored to just about anyone’s lifestyle. With interchangeable bands in a variety of colours, and a low price, the Flex is practically a must-buy.

VERDICT: A fantastic companion app and great functionality put the Flex on top.

HHHHH Lg g Watch R Reviewed: May 2015, price: £180.00 www.jawbone.com The LG G Watch R may be one of the most mature-looking smartwatches yet, but not everyone will find it attractive – or appreciate Android Wear’s limitations. The market’s set to explode with the advent of the Apple Watch and the Pebble Time. Unless you’re desperate for what the LG G Watch R does right now, it’s hard to see the value in yet another second-generation Android Wear watch.


VERDICT: Although attractive, it has limited functionality compared to other smartwatches.

HHHHH

buyer’s guide

Nike+ Fuelband SE Reviewed: June 2014, price: £89 www.nike.com The Nike+ FuelBand SE is close to being the perfect sports tracker. It’s social capabilities combined with its numerous features to keep you motivated ensure that it will be a permanent mainstay in any gym addicts kit bag. You might not be so keen on wearing it every single day, though, with its appealing design being more clearly tailored to a casual setting. Plus, its lack of waterproofing could be a deal-breaker for some.

VERDICT: When it comes to fitness, Nike is a name you can trust – this is no exception.

HHHHH Samsung galaxy gear 2 Reviewed: June 2014, price: £250 www.samsung.com The design needs a rethink but the Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 provides decent fitness tracking features and a good music player. Trimming down on other functions, however, would have made for a slimmer and sleeker product. It would be unfair to say this is a needless addition as it packs a lot of functions, but it’s an expensive product that’s hindered by an impractical design and redundant features.

VERDICT: A decent effort that has since been eclipsed by superior Android Wear devices.

HHHHH

Vector Smartwatch Reviewed: November 2015, price: £80 www..vectorwatch.com An ambitious attempt to inject some much-needed class into the smartwatch. It’s beautiful. But the level of interactivity is minimal and its software lacking. Ultimately, we came away wondering what a Pebble Time with Vector’s hardware and battery life might be like. We can only hope this becomes just that, but the company has a long road to travel first.

VERDICT: Beautiful but basic, the Vector Smartwatch is a bit of an oddity.


buyer’s guide

Wearable compatibility guide Lg g Watch R

iPhone 6 / 6 plus

HTC One M8

Samsung galaxy S5

Sony Xperia Z3 / Z3 Compact


Pebble Watch

Samsung gear Live

Sony Smartwatch 3

garmin Vivofit

Archos Activity Tracker

power to life

The amazing new accessories range, coming soon from

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